


A last resort

by Cant_Sleep_Coz_Marvel



Category: Avengers, Captain America (All media types), Iron Man (All Media Types), MCU, Marvel Comics, Thor (All Media Types) - Fandom
Genre: BDSM, Badass, Creepy Loki, Creepy!Loki, D/s, Dark Loki, Dark!Loki, Eventual Smut, F/M, Gang, Guns, Im bad at this, Light BDSM, Mentions SHIELD, Mentions X-Men, Possessive Loki, SHIELD, Swearing, Violence, death of very minor characters, kidnap, mentions drug abuse, mentions sibling death, possessive!Loki, powers, sciencebros, steve is cute
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-22
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-10-06 19:30:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 26,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10343055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cant_Sleep_Coz_Marvel/pseuds/Cant_Sleep_Coz_Marvel
Summary: When Bruce disappeared from the Avengers he made some friends and created a secret life for himself.Max is pulled into a crazy plan to stop Loki from destroying the planet but runs when she finds out a secret that could maybe lead to her death.Can Steve pursade Max to come back or will Loki sink his nails so deep she doesn't even want to resist?





	1. Chapter 1

Bruce hadn't told any of his friends about his two years of, what Tony had dubbed, "Bruce's hippie phase"! Never in a million years did he think he would be back in the run down industrial estate with all the buildings abandoned and derelict with half the walls crumbling and the rest blackened with age and the finger prints of the industrial revolution. He was walking with Clint since he was the least threatening of his choices and arguably the least known. His first choice would've been Natasha but her ginger hair and ruthless flare was well known in these parts.   
Both men felt uneasy and Clint was tense and ready to attack at any moment. They reached the centre of the estate and Bruce knocked on the door.  
A slate was pulled back and two brown eyes appeared and looked at the pair before shutting the door. A clang was heard and suddenly the two were pulled in and manhandled into the large open space, under the only bit of ceiling and roof left on the factory. There was a fire place with a fire roaring away quite happily. Three men were sat around a long wooden table. There was a window open which lead onto a fire escape where a girl with blue hair and eyebrows sat, her hazel eyes watching the trio carefully. The man at the head of the table was built like a brick house with so much muscle his neck was almost lost before sprouting into a square head with deadly steel grey eyes. His second in command was short and had rodent like featured and was chewing a toothpick, his beady eyes darting between the armed men surrounding the room. Finally the third man leaned back cockily on his chair, his angelic features ruined by a scar on his left temple.   
"Sir." An armed man spoke, Clint could hear a note of fear as all three men looked up.   
"Ahhhh Bruce you have returned! Sit down my friend." The leader stood up and pointed to a chair. The girl shifted and glared at Bruce but stayed quiet. "So glad you're back since you left without a single word. We were worried about you." The southern drawl was mocking. The cocky blond man motioned for Clint to sit which he did. Clint wasn't scared but he was cautious.   
"I had to return."  
"To the Avengers. I thought we were your family, we clothe you and look after you and feed you." The toothpick snapped as a tenseness flooded the jaw of the second man. No one spoke except the leader and Bruce.  
"I had to go. There is a devastating evil." Bruce sounded respectful and kept his eyes down.   
"Water under the bridge! Get our friends a drink." He shouted sitting back down. The girl clenched her knuckles and glared daggers at Bruce.   
"So why have you returned? Surely it can't be a social call, otherwise you would not have brought the archer. When Max said you were heading our way with someone I hoped for Romanoff." He shrugged pouring a drink for Bruce and Clint. "Where are my manners. I am Dan this is Kyle and Robert." The angel boy smiled sarcastically as Robert was said. "This is Max." The girls fists had unclenched and she gave them a curt nod.   
"This is Clint he's my friend. We don't want to hurt anyone we need your help." The room errupted in laughter until Robert stood up.  
"I want to hear what he had to say, see what he needs." A malicious smile spread over his face.   
Bruce looked to Clint who sighed and took a breath to speak.  
"We need something hidden and Bruce said someone here could do it. We have to stop someone getting hold of it."  
"If it's at your facility why come to us. Surely isn't that the safest place on earth?" Robert was enjoying the mental ring he was running. Bruce learned quickly you could hardly ever out smart this man dispitw his age of 25! Clint and Bruce shared a look.   
"Ohhhh isn't this interesting! This 'evil' is stronger than the Avengers." Kyle grinned, sending a shiver down Clints spine.   
"Max dear why don't you take this one." Robert suggested and the girl gave a small half smile to him. She swivelled so one leg was hanging off the fire escape.   
"Who are you hiding it from?"  
"Loki." Bruce answered honestly. The armed guards gasped but quickly shut up as a look from Max was thrown at them.   
"Why should we help you?" Her voice was level and Barton couldn't help but think she would be a good agent if she wasn't in the heart of one of the most dangerous mobs in the continent!  
"If he gets this Loki will kill everyone you love. He won't let you live." Bruce pleaded with the teenager who's eyes darkened.  
"Do you want to know what happened after you left?" Shakily Bruce shock his head no. "Mel, my sister, your patient died of the wound you were treating her for. Her bloods on your hands so I will ask you again why should we help you?"  
"If Loki gets this he has the ability to blow up half the world and everyone on it. That will be on you!" Clint shot back.  
"I will cut your tounge out and hang it above my bed if you talk again! Bruce answers you stay quiet." Robert grinned and Kyle looked something similar to proud!   
"Clints right. Loki wants to erradicate humanity and use this planet for its natural resources. An intergalactic black market." Max's stare faltered. She looked to the men at the table as if asking for permission.   
"This ones on you Max." Robert answered collectively.  
"Don't cross us and you will always have a home here darling!" Dan spoke again smiling at the girl. After a moment of silent deliberation she jumped off the metal railing.   
"I stay only as long as I'm needed. I am not an Avenger and won't be treated as one, I don't take orders and I am not your friend. My sister is dead because of you and this does not make us even, not by a long shot! I'll get my stuff." Max spoke to Bruce and walked out of the room.   
"Next time I see you Bruce you better be bringing her home." Dan spoke with a smile but pointed a knife at Bruce, "If not I will make sure you suffer, but I doubt you'd hurt her, right?"   
Of all the bad guys Clint had met and killed this guy was one of the few who gave him an uneasy feeling. After a few minutes Max returned with her pale blue hair in a high ponytail. Her black skinny jeans and white vest top were the only clothes she wore. She carried a black backpack and wore black combat boots, she looked ready for a journey.   
"Please show our guests out." Dan dismissed the three of them but only Max wasn't shoved out by the hands of the thugs. They three walked in a line with Bruce in the middle and Max a little bit away from them, slowly they reached the outskirts of the city and eventually they found a normal looking five person, red car. Max sat in the passenger seat with Bruce in the back, he was a nervous driver and Clint was a better driver anyway.   
"So what am I hiding?" She asked popping her seat belt on and putting her bag at her feet.  
"It's like an ingredient for a mass distinction recipe." Clint spoke before driving into the traffic easing to the freeway.   
"That doesn't answer my question."   
"It is hard to explain. Here is the information we have in it." Bruce wanted to avoid a bloodbath so pulled up the documents on a tablet for her to read. Max quickly read them and handed it back.   
"I thought Loki was sent back to Asgard after London."  
"He was but the son of a bitch escaped!" Clint spat through gritted teeth and he zoomed down the highway. Max nodded and looked out of the window. Bruce relaxed as he leaned back in the middle seat knowing there wouldn't be a fight for now.   
"So how do you hide things?" Clint asked about an hour in with crappy radio in the background.  
"Bruce didn't tell you?"  
"Bruce didn't say he knew you."  
"Didn't you tell them anything about your three years with us?"   
"Nope. Tony will ask you everything by the way." Clint gave her a lopsided grin.   
"I have powers. I can turn myself and anything I want invisible. When the thing or person is invisible I can take it through walls and there is a sort of shield around it."  
"It's really impressive. If you'd let me I could take your vitals and readings so we can make you a suit to help amplify and manage your powers." Bruce interjected.  
"I improved since you last saw me. Learned a few new tricks." Max smirked out the window. 

 

When the three of them pulled into the Avengers compound Bruce and Clint both offered to take Max's bag but she declined and took it herself, her shoulders squared for a fight if necessary.   
"And they're back! Welcome kid I'm Tony and you have to tell me everything Brucey boy did when he was in his self discovery hippie phase. That there is Steve he's the boss but I pay. That is Wanda and the red man is Vision, over there is Thor brother of Loki who you know is an asshole! Natasha is somewhere being broody and mysterious and ginger. Spidey is somewhere being a hero to city folk, you can eat what ever you want just don't take all the pop-tarts and don't trash my gadgets. If you need anything ask FRIDAY she's kind of everywhere so just speak." Tony finished his speech as they arrived in the living room, clearly Max was not impressed by the man's ability to talk. "Want a drink?" He finished, standing behind a bar pouring himself a drink.  
"Yes. Whiskey in the rocks if not, anything strong."   
"I like her!" Tony pointed to the girl standing at the end, surveying the room, walls, curling and people in it.   
"She's a minor Tony." Steve took the drink from the billionaire,   
"Hi Max I'm Steve." He extended his free hand for her to shake.  
"I'm twenty and helping you. I deserve a drink, I'm Max." She smirked and took the glass and sipped the drink enjoying it. Tony laughed and looked to pour himself another drink. Max looked around and saw a black man walk into the room.   
"That's Rohodey." Tony nodded to the man who smiled at Max, "Rhodes this is Max and she is helping us with our pesky Demi-God problem!"  
"Thank the lord someone is because Thor hasn't been helpful in finding his hideout." Clint flopped down onto the couch and smirked at the armoured blond man standing nearest the bar beside Max and Tony.   
"Welcome to our team Lady Max! I do hope you can protect the hadlet long enough for us to capture and imprision my brother."   
"I'm not an Avenger. I'm just here because I don't want to die!" Steve smiled at her blunt and honest response.   
"There is a bunk free next to me. I can show you so you may rest." Wanda stood up and smiled warmly. Briefly Max saw a fragment of Mel in the smile, drowning out the thought she downed the rest of her drink and followed the only other girl in the room.   
"Will she help us? Bruce you got her from a gang, can she be trusted?" Vision spoke from the sofa across from Clints after Max was out of ear shot.  
"She will. She's loyal to her morals, the only one she hates here is me." Bruce looked sad and sat at the bar.   
"As long as she doesn't try to kill us or hand us on a platter to Loki who cares?" Raising his glass to his lips Tony shrugged at Clint response.   
Wanda returned after a few minutes. "She is settling into her bunk."   
"FRIDAY pull up what you can find about her." Tony ordered as a hologram showing some files appeared with a feminine voice speaking from somewhere.   
"Certainly Sir. Maxine Woodsworth was born on the tenth of June 1997. She was part of a set of triplets made up of Mitchell James Woodsworth being the oldest then Maxine then Melanie Hannah Woodsworth. They were all reported to have powers at the time of their birth but this was hidden until a police report was filed in 2005 when Maxine and Melanie were reported missing after they were attacked and their brother killed on their way home from school. They grew up in the UK with their parents Garth and Vivienne Woodsworth, nether of whom had powers."   
"What were the powers?" Steve asked slipping into captain mode.   
"Mitchel had the ability to make people hear what he wanted them to, presumable by altering sound waves since he could not apparently hear what was in people minds. This excludes the possibility of neromanipulation or anything else similar. Melanie could look like anyone she wanted to and often used this to cover up her purple hair when not around her siblings. Max can make anyone one or anything invisible and seems to be able to turn this into a shield or force field, I cannot give an specifics without taking readings from her Sir."   
"Let's see face pictures of the siblings." Steve ordered swiping away files on the parents and other useless information. A picture of a boy on a morge table showed on one half of the screen and picture of a girl on the other. The boy had sever facial injuries and cuts all over his young face, his hair was messy and full of dirt but was distinctly green and so were his eyebrows. The girl had purple hair and eyebrows and the same brown eyes her sister had but this was a picture from when she was a little girl as well. There was also another picture of Melanie in a school uniform which was a red checked dress and red cardigan with black hair and eyebrows.   
"Black hair was Melanie's go to hair colour. Garth reportedly said she told him she chose that colour because her mother had black hair." Wanda expanded on another smaller photo on the corner of the hologram. It was the sibling sat in a garden. Mitchel in blue jeans and a blue t-shirt. Max was in black leggings and a rust coloured top. Melanie was in a red skirt and white vest top. They all had their natural hair colours and were piled on top of each other with wide smiles on their faces, they looked around five but they were small so they could've been older.  
"It's so sad. The way Mitchel died, it was horrific." Wanda spoke as tears filled her eyes. Vision walked forward and hugged his girlfriend.   
"How did Melanie die?" Tony asked but Bruce answered before FRIDAY.  
"She was shot by the police trying to protect someone. They saw her change from one person to another and one of them shot her. I was treating her when I came back here but an infection was taking over. I left her with no medical help and she died. That's why Max hates me, they were close." Everyone was quiet for a moment until Clint spoke again.   
"Max said in the car when things were invisible she could get them through walls."  
"Yes but only if she's holding them and both are invisible. But it's been three years and she was working on her powers when her sister was ill. She might've found new abilities caused by pain since the taking things through solids came when her brother died."  
"Do we know how the sisters got to the US and involved with the gang?" Steve was deep in leader mode he was trying to find every scrap of detail out about her he could. FRIDAY was silent.   
"Mel told me when I was treating her that Max hid them in a commercial air line and they landed in New York. They lived on the streets and Kyle found them and took them to Dan who decided to train them. I've seen the training and it's intense, both were deadly without powers so with they were almost unstoppable."   
"Their morals and each other were the weakness." Natasha spoke, "You can only try to appeal to her morals Steve. Don't try to rescue her or she'll go." Natasha made everyone jump as she quickly assessed their new guest from the information she heard from Bruce and FRIDAY.   
"She doesn't want to be saved." Natasha seemed to be speaking to herself from experience but no one picked her up on it.   
Max nodded. It was a fair assessment of her and she was impressed by the information the IA could find out about her but they were wrong about some things but she wasn't going to tell them that. The more they know the more they had against her and the ginger was right, Steve seemed to want to save everyone individually but if he tried on her she would leave. Earth be damned, she would not be known as a hero because she wasn't one and Max's motto was 'don't be something you're not' and she stuck to that.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Max was sat on the work bench next to Tony as he typed some stuff into his computer and the simulation of something she didn't really care about played as a hologram in the main lab area.   
"So what even is this?" She asked.  
"How Loki is planning to pick the planet apart after humanity is all gone."  
"According to our intel." Steve corrected Bruce when he saw Max's worried face.  
"So why are we looking at this when I should be looking at the thing you brought me here to hide?"   
"One second there storm chaser." Tony finished typing some calculations and the hologram restarted but looked a little different. A long board was in the centre of the planet and a cloud of toxic fumes killed humanity without damaging plants. Every animal died and emmense pressure made oil be produced at an accelerated rate along with coal.   
"This is his plan. We think." Tony stood up and used a pen as a pointer. "Your job is to hide one of the elements needed to make this hadlet. There are three pieces and Loki has one and nearly another. Once all three are together and Loki uses whatever magic words he has to make it work we're fucked."  
"There are people in his group who told us that he needs certain types of powered people to give the hadlet full power so we also need to find out what types of people he needs." Tony pulled out a box and handed it to Max. Strangely Tony was being fully sensible with this whole situation. "Don't tell anyone where you hid this! Not even us."   
"Particularly not us." Bruce warned, "Loki will want to take us out and if he gets hold of us he will try to get information out of us."  
"Ok. Hide it and tell no one. Wouldn't it be easier for me to take this and go somewhere away from the compound?"  
"No. If Loki somehow tracks this down to here we have a better chance of stopping him." Steve stepped forward and opened the box, pulling out what looked like an ornate wooden carving of a child. "Whatever this does is not good hide it." Max nodded and put it into the box.   
"Give me a few minutes." She turned invisible and took the box to her room, taking shortcuts through the walls and hid it in the best place she could.   
Arriving back to the lab Max saw a lady was standing with Natasha and the mood was less ominous and lighter.   
"Storm chaser come and stand on the plate!" Tony leaned back in his rolling chair and pushed himself to a different computer as he spoke.  
"Why?" Max braced herself for a fight.  
"We need to take your vitals so we know your base level in case you're injured." Bruce explained with a smile.  
"Also i want to see what type of juice you have." Steve glared at Tony.  
"We can wait till later if you'd prefer." Steve put a large warm hand on Max's shoulder but she shock her head and stood on the plate. She felt like some form of museum exhibition with Natasha, Steve, Bruce, Tony and the other random lady looking at her. Bruce was watching the machines her heart rate and possibly something to do with her breathing were being read on.  
"Stand still. FRIDAY is just scanning for anything like broken bones. Possibly a fairy inside your heart, who knows." Max shuck her head and waited until Bruce nodded.   
"Start small, turn yourself invisible." He was in Doctor mode. Max did as she was told and waited. "Come back but legs then arms then torso then head." Max did as she was told.   
"Let's kick it up a notch! Turn someone else invisible." Tony rubbed his hands gleefully as he watched Max turn Steve invisible. "You are so cool!"  
"This is nothing!" Max complained bringing Steve back to everyone's vision.   
"Throw something at me."   
"What?" The three men asked.  
"I'm stable you want to see how I preform under pressure throw the chair at me!" Steve shared a look with Bruce, silently debating wether it was a good idea but Tony didn't wait. He threw the chair he was sitting on at her! It bounced off an invisible wall before it hit her.   
"Doc what are the vitals?"  
"Stable." Bruce couldn't believe his eyes, this wasn't even raising her heart rate!  
"I can go threw solid walls and not even run out of breath."  
"Let's do it. FRIDAY follow her and send us the vitals."  
"Tony this isn't a good idea." Natasha warned but Max was gone from view.  
"Sir Maxine has gone threw the wall into the living area and is circling back."   
"FRIDAY call me Max." Max ordered as she appeared back on the metal plate.   
"Your vitals are perfect, they actually don't elevate or seem stressed or under strain!" Bruce say down and seemed to be looking for a glitch.   
"FRIDAY, physiology report." Tony order with a smug grin on his face.   
"Everything is normal and stable Sir. Max is perfectly healthy and her powers only seem to lower energy levels as much as walking does."   
"I won't combust on anyone. Can I get off the plate now?" Tony nodded and high fived Max as she sat on the bench next to him. He turned the computer towards her and the pair had a small conversation before Bruce spoke up.   
"Max can you stand on the plate again and put up a force field again? FRIDAY scan as it's happening and send the reading to me. Dramatically sighing Max stood back on the plate and did as she was told yet again. Steve stood silently with his arms crossed as Natasha and the lady wrote down things on a clipboard.   
"Now turn invisible FRIDAY keep scanning." Max finished and went back to Tony as Bruce waved her off the plate. Steve went to look at Bruce's reading.   
A projection of her body from the scan was on the screen and the field that was acting as the force field bent around Max. Bruce pulled up the vitals and scan from when she went through the wall.   
"This is amazing."  
"What is it Bruce?"   
"The reason her powers don't cause strain is because it never turns off as such." Everyone was listening and Max for some reason was tense and was waiting for something or someone to attack her. 'Old habits die hard' she thought.   
"Max has a field around her body constantly which can alter the state of matter and light around her. It can bounce objects and bend items on an atomic level around her, light is perfectly sent round when she is invisible so she is concealed from our vision. As you can do new things it's just learning another way to use the field." Bruce explained at Max who look confused but everyone understood it.   
"I'm drawing up plans for a suit that can protect her, Bruce send over the readings so we can find the best materials to streamline the field." Tony and Bruce huddled around Tony's computer so Max just got up and left sighing. She walked, visibly, to the living area and turned on the news. It was a channel that broadcasted from and to New York but the compound had every news channel on the planet just in case.   
"Why are you watching the news?" Steve spoke softly.   
"Keep an eye on my family."  
"The gang?"  
"Yes." Her time left no room for interpretation. Steve just nodded and sat in an arm chair and watched Max look at the TV while staying standing. Her brow was furrowed and her arms were crossed. Through her vest top Steve could see the defined, sleek muscle tone of her arms.   
"Family isn't always blood. It's who bleeds for you and with you." Steve spoke, voicing what Max felt. She looked at him and nodded.  
"You fought in a war. Your group, platoon, whatever you call it must've been family. Dan and his group, we were in a war together. Not a bombing and Nazi one but a gang war. They bleed for me and I bled for them, if they need me I'm going back to help them." Her voice was even and blunt. Steve nodded, completely understanding her.   
After the headlines were read and it was obvious Max would not need to go back to Dan Max sat on the sofa behind her, flicking through the channels.   
"I never knew there were so many channels. I mean I knew there were a lot but this is crazy!"  
"You haven't watched a television before?" Steve seemed shocked and slightly confused. Hadn't everyone in this century watched a TV?  
"I have but it was ether kids free channels back with my parents or the news through shop windows. We preferred radio news." Steve sat next to her, leaving plenty of space between them so Max wouldn't be spooked. He took the remote and put in some numbers which brough the up a cartoon show called 'The Simpson's'.  
"Tony, Wanda, Vision and even Thor like this. I think it's ok but you might like it." They settled into comfortable silence, Wanda and Clint wandered in over the course of the show and joined them but on different arm chairs.

Later in the afternoon Max was sat in her bunk and started to unpack since she knew she wouldn't be going for a bit. The few clothes she owned were hung up and a other bits and bobs placed round the room. The closest thing anyone could class as personal in the room was a black makeup bag with a few drugstore pieces in it and her hairbrush and deodorant.   
"Hey Max can I come in?" A soft Russian accent spoke from the other side of the grey door.   
"Sure." Max turned back to fiddling with the radio as Wanda sat on the pale grey sheets.   
"I wanted to see how you were and if you needed anything. I know you probably don't have a lot so if you ever need anything just ask me."   
"Thanks but I doubt I'll be needed long enough to need anything other than the basics."   
"How are you finding everything. I know the compound is a little weird at first. I also know how it is to loose a sibling." Max tensed and put the screwdriver down. Facing away from the brunette she took a deep breath.   
"Your brother died a hero. My sister died in an abandoned cotton factory alone and scared."  
"There is a phrase which says the good die young." Wanda tried to help ease Max's pain. It was clear from what Bruce and Max had said and how they said it that Max felt partially responsible for her sisters death and coupled with her brothers death, well, Wanda had no idea how much guilt the twenty year old carried around with her.   
"Guess I have a long life to look forward to then."   
"We know about your parents and brother!" Wanda blurted out.   
"I know." Max sighed turning around and finally leaving the radio alone. "I was watching and listening."   
"What happened was not your fault. Your brother is not on you."   
"That's where you're wrong. Both of them are. I didn't protect my brother or sister and now they are dead. If I was quicker to realise what was happening then both of them would have been protected by me! I know you're trying to be kind but you are making me loose focus." Nodding sadly Wanda got up and left. She walked into the living area and shuck her head 'no' to Natasha.   
"This is cruel." Bruce spoke from the oven where he was cooking for everyone.  
"I need to build up a profile and have to know if talk of her siblings could effect her guarding the hadlet. It's not fair but we have to know if she has any obvious weaknesses."   
"Stop it. She isn't here to be analysed like an agent or zoo animal, Max is here to help us!" Bruce almost shouted at his ex before taking a deep breath and turning back to the food.

Back in her room Max had fixed the radio and was listening to the hidden transmission from Dan's headquarters. She had the machine half set up and only needed to attach a small device which would allow her and only her to contact Dan incase of an emergency. Nothing was serious so she turned it off and sat on the centre of the bed with her legs crossed. She pulled the Hadlet out and turned it over in her hands trying to figure out how such a small thing could possibly cause this much danger to so many people. 

 

Loki glared at the incompetent man before him. The useless worm was shaking and stuttering, trying to excuse his inability to find out the simplest thing about the girl Barton and Banner had taken with them. 'Why her?'   
"I...I...I was..was not a...able to get cl...close enough to hear anything! The whole area is so heavily guarded the...they don't even let a mouse in without knowing about it!"   
"Enough. You have displeased me." Loki sat on his raised seating amungest the crawling filth of the nine realms. He was eventually king of something and being honest with himself being king of the black market was not a bad thing. He had influence across the nine realms and could undermine a whole court without being named for it. No link no trouble. But the uselessness of these so called men disgusted him. Loki had heard whispers of Banner wanting to bring this girl on board the Avengers so he watched from afar and saw her sneak around and bargain for her puppet masters. She wasn't anything more than Natasha Romanoff, younger yes, as skilled, yes but replaceable, yes! So he sent in this snivaling mess of a man in to find out more, turned out he had got nothing more than Loki had.   
"I have an idea. Maybe as a mouse you would be of use, at least you can eat the crumbs in this place!" With a click of his fingers the man was turned into a mouse. A sadistic grin spread across his face as the brown mouse scuttled off and away. The beings around him were the black marketers of the nine realms. Loki only wanted to best in the business and they all knew he was a powerful ally against all the laws out there which wanted to put them away. But they had to prove themselves to be good enough or Loki would find a use for them, which often involved loosing a body part or becoming something else all together. He ran a tight ship and no one would, could or dared to step out of line. He wanted the hadlet and he would have it but first he needed more information on the girl.


	3. Chapter 3

Over the next few weeks nothing exciting happened. Max even found herself lowering her guard. Slightly! She felt a little less angry towards Bruce, she still didn't like him but not she didn't want to kill him.  
Somehow Steve had persuaded her to join in in movie night, it was a James Bond film. Max liked Steve the most, he respected her boundaries but still made an effort to make her feel comfortable but most importantly he never tried to save her, he just let her be.  
Max was on the sofa next to Steve and Clint was on the other side of Steve. The three were sharing a large blanket but still had space between them. Everyone else was scattered around on chairs and beanbags but Max didn't take much notice of who was where, as long as no one was behind her she didn't give a damn! Bruce had made popcorn so Max was sharing with the super soldier next to her. As the film got nearer the end Max drifted off to sleep.  
Max's head fell onto Steve's chest. He smiled and moved his arm so it was around her waist so both were a little more comfortable. Everyone else scattered but Steve stayed on the sofa saying he had some work to do and pulled out some files for him to read. Secretly he didn't have the heart to wake the blue haired girl, she looked peaceful and calm which wasn't something he had seen with her before. A small gasp left her lips but she didn't wake, Steve smiled a little he couldn't help it and he wasn't sure why.

'Max looked around her. She was in a strange place. No ground or anything to stand on but there must've been something or she would've been falling! Looking around all she could see was a deep navy blue.  
"Hello pet." A deep voice spoke. Max's head whipped round to face the man who was suddenly standing in front of her. He was in black leather pants which were skin tight and a green shirt with some basic gold armour on.  
"Who are you?"  
"A friend."  
"A friend would give me a name." He merely chuckled.  
"Touché little one." Max narrowed her eyes not really a fan of his nicknames for her.  
"Fine then! Why are you in my dream."  
"I can feel you have questions and I can help you. I will tell you what the hadlet does if you tell me where it is."  
"Loki! Get the fuck out of my head." Max spat her words at him, hatred drilling from them like venom on the fangs of a snake.  
"I will find it anyway. If you help me I can help you, you can join me and help me." He stepped forward wrapping his arms around her waist and whispered into her ear, "Why help them who willl abandon you at the first sign of trouble. I would never do that." This wasn't the first time where someone thought they physically had the upper hand over her so Max knew the best way to deal with him. She leaned up on her tiptoes and whispered against his lips.  
"Bite me asshole." Suddenly she had control over her powers again and used a shield to push him away, slamming him into the wall of navy. Cracks showed so Max kept pushing him, trying to cast him out! The mad man just laughed.  
"I will give you another chance when you've had time to think in it little one!" With that the navy dome shattered and Max collapsed in a heap on the floor, blood running from her nose like a river.  
"Max! Max!" A familiar voice shouted but there was no one max could see. Screaming a shield shot out destroying the navy and leaving her falling her through a vortex of pure white! 

 

Jolting awake Max felt someone shaking her. Voices were shouting and hands were all over her. Nothing was clear but the taste of metal bit through everything as blood still poured out of her nose. A shield shot out pushing everyone away from her. She stood up and forced everything into focus. Steve and Tony were on the ground pushed against walls and Clint was cast into an arm chair which had toppled over at the force of the man being thrown into it! Bruce had hidden behind the sofa Max had been on so he hadn't been hit and was not in any danger of hulking out. Wanda slowly walked over holding a box of tissues and a towel. Staying in front of Max so she wouldn't lash out.  
"You were dreaming. Everything's ok you're safe. Here for your nose, let me help." Max let Wanda sit her down on the sofa and help clean her up with the towel as Max held some tissues up to her nose.  
"You were dreaming and shouting then your nose started bleeding. Is this normal?" Max shuck her head since words seemed lost in the distance and reaching for them was too hard right now. Slowly the blood stopped and Bruce handed her a plate with chocolate on it.  
"You've lost quite a bit of blood you need to raise your blood sugar." Nodding Max slowly ate the chocolate. Wanda finished dabbing with the towel and sat further away from Max to give her her space.  
"What happened?" Steve asked from the floor, his face soft and worried.  
"Where's Thor?"  
"Why? Max is he in trouble?" Bruce asked worried as well.  
"No. I saw Loki, he spoke to me. He knows I have the hadlet and wants it. Was that a dream or can he really get inside my head?" Everyone shared a look before Steve took over.  
"He will be back tomorrow so we can ask him then for now you need to rest. Can you stand?" Max took the hand Steve offered and pulled herself up. She got up too quickly and wobbled so Steve wrapped an arm around her and helped her go to her bunk.  
Once they got to her bunk Steve pulled out some clean pyjamas and handed them to Max. She quickly took her top off and changed, leaving her bra on. Steve flushed beat red and turned around quickly. Max chuckled.  
"Captain America. Forever the epitome of a gentleman. I've changed." She reassured him. Crawling into bed Steve sat next to her, both leaning against the sturdy headboard.  
"Did I hurt you?"  
"Not really. Tony maybe but you could've knocked sense into him." They both chuckled.  
"I'm scared Steve. If Loki knows I have the hadlet and he can get inside my head he might already know where it is. I made sure only I can actually get it but what happens if he gets hold of me?"  
"He won't. I promise you he will not get hold of you!" Slowly Max took hold of Steve's hand for reassurance, support or maybe because it grounded her. Steve didn't know but didn't make a big deal out of it. He held her hand securely giving it a light squeeze as they looked at the opposite wall.  
"It feels strange here. Everyone's so close and happy even with all the crazy that's happening. How do you all do it?"  
"Like you told me before, they bleed for me and I bleed for them. That's a strong bond. I guess we have the security of non of us being classed as normal, we all are different but together we're normal."  
"I thought I felt like I had a family with Dan but I'm not so sure. I was still different and after Mel died, well I was alone in that. I love them but I don't know if it's as strong as I thought it was. I feel alone Steve, there and here and I hate it." Max's voice broke and she looked down. Her hair was naturally straight and acted as a perfect curtain.  
"You are not alone. Never think you are." Taking a huge risk Steve wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. Tense at first Max slowly relaxed, she hadn't been hugged since Mel died and she missed it, the feeling of warmth and security. "Why don't you tell me what your siblings were like." Steve tried to change the subject, "I doubt you've had the opportunity to tell anyone about them." Max wanted to say no but every part of her wanted to tell Steve about them, tell anyone about them! "We were close. Really close. We grew up in London, not a particularity nice area but it wasn't too bad. Mitchel was outgoing and bold, he loved his abilities and often played tricks on people with them. My parents always told him off but he never listened." A small smile was on Max's face. "Mel was girly but shy about her powers. When she had black hair she would be a social butterfly but otherwise she was too shy to do anything without us there. When we were attacked it was quick and Mitchel got the brunt of it. Mel was the youngest and because she was so shy Mitchel and me, we would do anything to protect her so I got her to somewhere safe and went back to Mitchel but he was dead. Beaten to death! I'd hidden Mel behind a wall in someone's garden so when she heard nothing she found us and saw him. He didn't deserve to die. I got Mel back into the garden and we stayed there, eventually we decided we couldn't stay in London. We were very close to the air port so once we got there I turned us both invisible and we got on the first plane we saw. I hid us in a small cabin that was empty, we landed in New York and Dan took us in. We would go and get money for him but we always worked as a pair. Mitchell's death was a wake up call, we would never be normal or safe but we had each other and if we had that we could at least know someone would have our backs. We were trying to sort this thing out for Kyle when we had the run in with the police, I heard Mel shout and I ran towards her but I was too far, when I got there she had been shot trying to keep this kid safe! I got her back to the estate and Bruce was looking after her until he left. I was there when she died, the life just went in her sleep. The last thing she said was "just keep swimming." Finding Nemo was Mitchell's favourite film and whenever any of us were down he would tell us that. Mel was always the heart between us two and she stopped me from slipping into a dark place when Mitchel died, I just want to slip into the darkness but she would come back to life and slap me if I did!" A soft laugh broke through the tear that were falling into Steve's shirt. "I'm sorry your shirt is soaked and I'm a mess. Dear Lord you must think I'm an idiot!" Max shifted so she could get a tissue and hide he face from Steve. Steve was having non of it, he turned her face to him and looked her in the eyes willing her to see how honest he was when he said, "I don't think your an idiot. They were your siblings, you were born together and being taken away from each other is painful. You are not responsible for their deaths, you did what you could in an impossible situation and that is all you can do!" He pulled her into a hug and slowly pulled them both under the covers so they were lying down, Max's head on his chest. Eventually have stopped crying and her breathing evened out so it was deep and regular, she was asleep. Steve sighed and got comfortable, maybe he wouldn't have the nightmares since he was with someone else who shares his pain. Just maybe.


	4. Chapter 4

"Little early in the morning for a drink." Tony remarked as he walked in and saw Max sat at the bar.  
"It's just water. I like the view from up here."  
"So you and Cap?" Tomy sat on the other side of the bar nearest the alcohol but was still opposite Max.  
"We just talked then a I fell asleep. Nothing remotely weird." Max reassured him watching the sun rise.  
"It's beautiful isn't it?" Tony said matter of factly.  
"Sure is. When's Thor coming in?"  
"About lunch time. Do you think Loki could find the Hadlet if he knew where it is?"  
"No he would need me to do that. I made sure if it." Tony nodded and poured himself a small whiskey. Max gave him a look.  
"Tecniqually I never slept."  
"What you working on?"  
"Your suit. I make sure we all look cool and badass! Want to see it?"  
"Hell yes!" Tony looked like a kid in a candy shop as he lead Max down to the lab/workshop/place where him and Bruce got sciencey!  
"This is it." Tony pressed a button to reveal a deep sea green leather top with dark blue sleeves. Black pants and knee-high lace up boots finished the outfit.  
"A changing room it through there try it on!" Tony pushed Max through the door and handed her the items.  
Putting them on Max looked in the mirror. She looked good! They got her like a glove and the material was sturdy. Lacing up the boots she found a metal cuff right at the top which held the laces in place so they wouldn't get tugged undone. Stepping out Tony's grin reached his ears it was so wide! He stood up and almost jumped gleefully.  
"It looks so good. I lined it with a mess made of carbon nano fibres since in the simulation it help your shield stay steady and protects your body from any incoming attacks you might not stop."  
"I'm didn't think I was here to fight." Max said worriedly.  
"No you aren't but with Loki maybe getting inside your head it might be good to be cautious."  
"You cautious? Tony Stark?" Cocking an eyebrow Max tested the flexibility, it moved perfectly with her body.  
"I know, must be the alcohol. Anyway these are for you as well, just to make you look super cool!" Tony handed her a brief case which Max opened. A gasp escaped as she looked at the foam lined box. Inside was two arm cuffs that would end mid arm and they each held a small dagger, concealed perfectly. The silver colour looked almost iridescent, giving off a cold blue colour if you looked close enough. Carefully she slipped them on and felt her powers surge but also felt a little less out of control.  
"I based it off an old SHIELD design, it streamlines an individuals powers which gives more control. Obviously I made it better because well, it's me!" Grinning Max threw her arms around Tony in a ight hug. At first he was thrown off a bit but quickly his arms wrapped around her waist.  
"Thank you so much!"  
"You're welcome kid. Keep all of it, even if you go after this is all done it's yours just don't go robbing banks and killing people ok."  
"Deal." Max smirked.  
"Wear it today and get a feel for it." He instructed. Before Max could fully grasp the gravity of what this would do for her both Max and Tony heard a buzzing. Max reached down the top and pulled out a small mobile phone and answered it. "What's up....where are you...I'll be there soon just remember what I tought you." Hanging up Max turned to Tony. "How quickly can you get us to New York?" Iron Man landed and put Max down. "Stay here unless I call you." She order and with that she ran off down the street out of Tony's view. Max looked around her, ignoring the police sirens from far away, they would be for something else. "Max! Help!" The familiar voice cam from seven stories up in an abandoned building of some sort. Wasting no time she grabbed an old pipe and used it to pull down the fire escape ladder and almost flew up it, climbing through the window and pulling her gun out. Max turned invisible and ran towards the bangs and screams coming from a room across a hall. Kicking the door down she saw a man wrestling with her friend who had called her on the phone. Shooting his knee the man let go of Violet and Max came into view, her uniform from Stark earlier making her look even more terrifying! "Get behind me." Max ordered a shuddering Violet. The man tried to stand but Max shot his other leg and kicked his feet from under him, landing a punch to the the man's face she broke his nose. Dragging the man who was limp and useless over to the window Max pushed him down to the second story and pushed him off the building onto the alley way below. Max calmly helped Violet down at the bottom and told her to stay by the wall. The man was conscious and his mouth was filling with blood from his nose which he spat out at Max. "Who sent you?" He only let out a laugh. Trying a new trick she had been working on Max placed a shield over his chest and pushed, not enough to break anything but enough to make breathing difficult. "Who send you?" "My boss didn't tell me I swear!" The man squealed as Max applied a little more pressure and examined his panicked face. Deciding he was telling the truth she moved onto the next question. "Why were you attacking her?" "The boss said he wanted me to get people with powers and bring them in for his boss!" "Where are you taking them?" "I wait for the message. I text him when I have one and he gives me a place to meet!" He had no more to give. "Violet turn around." Once her friend did Max raised her gun and shot the man twice in the head and emptied the rest of the magazine into his chest and torso for good measure. Bending down Max felt around in his pockets and found a burner phone. A wallet. And a retractable knife. "Amateurs." Max muttered with disapproval. Looking in his wallet she found the man's ID and $500. Handing Violet the money Max lead her back towards Tony but stopped just out of hearing range. "Do you know this man?" She handed the ID to her friend. Violet had soft green eyes and olive skin with purple stripes down her arms and neck, hence her name. "No but I recognise him for one of Ash's pictures. I'll see if he knows anything. Thanks for saving me, I tried to zap out but he grabbed me." "Ok just stay safe and warm the rest. If this guy is right and someone wants powered people your guys are an easy target. Go to the abandoned industrial estate and ask for Dan and say I sent you. Had this to him and explain the situation, he will sort something out for you, if anything else happens text or ring me." Violet hugged her friend tightly. "Thanks Max. Stay safe." With that she just disappeared. Max turned and walked back to Tony. "Who was that?" "Violet. A distant relative from the mutant night crawler. They have similar powers, I think the guy has a connection to Loki. He said he texts his boss when he has a powered person and the boss sends an address to meet. But it's the boss's boss who wants them." "Sounds like Loki's MO. We should get back to the compound." Once back at the bunker Tony and Max were greeted by a seething Steve. Clint and Natasha weren't very happy and Wanda looked ready to take Tony and punch him. "What the heck Stark? Max is here as a non combat help! We get woken up by FRIDAY showing security camera footage of Max beating the crap out of this guy and shooting him!" "You shot him?" Tony turned to face Max with wide eyes. She just walked over to the bar and poured herself a drink as Tony watched the footage reply. Everyone looked at Max with so many question written across their faces. "You act like this is the first time I've killed somebody. He was threatening my friend who also has powers and he might be working for Loki! This could give us a lead since Thor has been gone for two weeks and got nothing. Now we have something and that piece of crap is dead, win win." "Did you know she's killed someone Bruce?" Steve asked Bruce who was sat at a table tracing the burner phone. "Yes. If she wasn't ready to I would never have suggested her." "And you didn't think us knowing about this would be a good idea?" Natasha growled. "Like you haven't killed anyone ether. Everybody in this room has killed, non of you have clean hands." Max shrugged and downed her whiskey. "Hate me all you want but now you have a lead. I'm going to shower I have blood on me, by the way I'm fine!" Max snapped the last bit before going to her room and getting in the shower. Loki almost purred with satisfaction. Now he knew what was so special, she has a shield and could disappear from view. He watched the footage of her ruthless interrogation and smiled. Now he knew why she had been asked to help the Avengers. A plan was forming in his head but there were too many variables he had no control over to execute it. Yet. Given a little time he could turn everything in his favour, get the hadlet, the girl and take down the Avengers in one go. When he injected himself into her subconscious the previous night he got a taste for how powerful she was but he didn't know what her powers were. She was quite an attractive little thing. Athletic build, pale skin, that unique and beautiful hair with those hard brown eyes. Yes she would be perfect to stand by his side but only if she was willing. Loki loved a challenge and she seemed like the exact person to give him one! Max was sat on the bed in joggers and a vest top towel drying her hair when Steve walked in. "I came to see how you are." "I'm fine." "I'm sorry for over reacting about you killing him, you're right we all have blood on our hands and he threatened your friend. I would and have done the same, I was just taken a back by how little you seem to care." Sighing Max turned her body to face Steve and dropped the towel in the hamper. "I do care, but I care about Violet more! She looks after a bunch of kids and teenagers who were left parentless by the Inhuman thing in the fish tablets. She's a friend and so many others rely on her! If he was to go free he would just strike again and this time he would be more prepared, luckily he went against her with a tiny knife." Max chuckled, "Violets not a fighter but I am. I promise don't I would do all I can to protect her and her friends and I'm not lying. I'm not proud of being able to handle taking another's life but I only do it if I have to. Dan asked me to kill people before and I refused because they didn't deserve it." "Your own form of justice." "Yes." Max's eyes met Steve's bright blue eyes. A fading mark from some fight or something ran down his temple to his jawline. Gently Max traced it with the very tips of her fingers. "I'm not a hero Steve and I never will be but I can help you guys save the world, surly one or two lives are worth it." The words were hushed and spoken slowly as the soldier leaned into the delicate touch. "I try not to kill Max, but in a war casualties are inevitable." Max just nodded and pulled her hand away. "Don't be hard on Bruce for not saying anything. He's in a tough situation." Steve nodded and stood up. "I'll leave you to it. You can always speak to me if you need to talk. I have to say I think Natasha was impressed by your moves." Smirking Max turned around and waited till the door closed before closing her eyes, trying and failing to hold back a few tears.


	5. Chapter 5

After the incident with Violet Max took all her frustrations out in the form of working out or practising her powers! Often she would finish the day tired and exhausted but she didn't care. At least after she had to kill with Dan there was one other job to do one guy to beat up, here she had nothing to do but sit around and wait for Thor to come back, again, from the place Bruce traced the burner phone to.  
This particular night Max finished early and went to bed. Falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

She was back in the navy dome again but it seemed a little lighter and she could see a faint rippling at the bottom of her feet.  
"Little one?" The deep voice called out to her. Knowing it was Loki made her blood boil!  
"Come here and face me you coward!" She screamed, glaring as Loki appeared in a sharp, well fitted suit and his signature green scarf. He waved his hand and a black fog ran over her clothes turning them into an elegant green dress with a bronze waist piece and a bronze hair piece which looked like a crown of ivy.  
"What the fuck!" Max exclaimed.  
"You look like a goddess my dear." He stepped forward letting a piece of blue hair run between his fingers. Max stepped away and smacked his hand away.  
"Don't touch me! You tried to kidnap my friend and invade my head, what type of sick twisted asshole does that?" Loki stepped forward prompting Max to try and step back but she was frozen with only her head being able to move. Loki wrapped his arms around Max's waist and placed his head on her shoulder.  
"I need them to secure a future. Our future."  
"I will not help you. I will watch this planet burn to ash before I help you."  
"Such conviction. You are a lioness which the Avengers want to tame. How long till they realise what you are and shun you?"  
"I will never help you! Manipulating me won't work." Stepping back to see her face Loki's gaze softened a little, showing what might be classed as sympathy.  
"Do you think the Captain will share your affections if he knew?"  
"I don't know what you mean."  
"I am the god of lies little one, you can lie to yourself but not me. You care for him but he could never love the real you. I however can help you raise and sore above them, all you have to to is help me." Pure rage was surging through Max at this point but something was stopping her from expelling him like last time.  
"They might not like me but at least I'm not kidnapping vanurable kids! Why would you need them anyway, I thought you had all the power you needed." Loki chuckled.  
"So thirsty for answers. You will be good by my side little one. The day will come when you see them for what they are. The Avengers are just broken pieces trying to fix each other while breaking even further. They will crumble pet and when they do you will need someone to protect you. They will not see the blame in each other they will see it in you but I know the truth. I will save you from them but only if you help me." Loki looked at Max's face carefully. He could see she already knew some of what he said to be true but she refused to admit it.  
"Do I need to say it in another language. I will not and never will help you. Get out of my head." Max growled still routed on the spot by this invisible force!  
"We will meet properly soon, very soon." Loki kissed her forehead before fading away into the dome around her. The force let go and a sudden pain ripped through Max and she did the only thing she could do. Scream!

 

Bruce heard the screams but once he arrived in Max's room he saw Steve had beat him to it. Max was cradled in his arms and slowly her breathing was returning to normal. She clung onto Steve's shirt but Steve didn't mind, the closeness was comforting to him in a small way. He whipped her hair away from her forehead as she spasmd in pain. The pain was ripping though her limbs but once it reached her fingers and toes it seemed to just flow into the air around her. As Max's breathing got back to normal Bruce sat at her and Steve's feet, he had shut the door and told FRIDAY to inform everyone that everything was ok! "What was it?" Steve asked softly. "Loki again." Max croaked, "Thor needs to hurry up so we can kick his ass! I don't care if he's an Asgardian I will kill him, no one messes with my sleep." Bruce chuckled and stayed at the end of the bed. "I'm sorry Max. About all of this." "No. I agreed and it's Loki that will be sorry." Resolve filling her voice. "I'll stay Bruce. You've had a few nights up with Tony." Bruce nodded and smiled at Max who gave him a small one back. Max wiggled a little in Steve's grip so she was a little more comfy, his body heat relaxing her and reassuring Max that she was awake. "I need to get out tomorrow. Just a nice calm day." "I'll go with you." Steve tried to keep the eagerness out of his voice so he didn't sound desperate. "I'm sure you have better things to do than babysit me." "I have a few little jobs I need to do, might as well get out. We've all been working overtime trying to track down Loki and now we have a lead we are all on edge. How does keeping the hadlet hidden effect your powers? Does it drain you?" "Not really. I mean it can be tiring if I'm using my powers a lot to do other things but that's so rare it's hardly worth mentioning." Doodling patterns onto a peck Max let Steve pull them down a little and pull the covers up. "Do you think Loki will come back tonight?" "I don't know, but not sleeping is not good, he can't reach you here so try to sleep. I can stay." "Thank you. I know I'm being annoying, I'm sorry." Max looked up at Steve's face but he smiled gently and stroked her hair. "You are not annoying or a burden or anything else, try to sleep doll." Sighing gently Max closed her eyes and let the sweet allure of sleep take over, feeling safe in the arms of Steve. Dressed in black jeans and a paid shirt Max waited for Steve by the sofa. He said he had to grab something but it was taking him a damn long time! She put in her leather cropped jacket which she had stolen, Steve walked through the door from the corridor leading the the bunks. "Ready?" "Yes. What did you need?" Steve pulled out a helmet from behind his back and handed it to her as he lead them down to the garage. "We are going on my motorcycle!" "Really? Oh my god that's so cool!" Max jumped at the opportunity and gasped at the black bike. "It's so cool." She squealed a huge smile lighting up her face. "Put the helmet on and hold onto me tightly." Steve smirked and got on the bike. "Why don't you wear a helmet?" "Super soldier. I don't really need it for this type of driving." Steve enjoyed the feeling of her arms around his waist as the engine roared into life and they left the garage of the compound. The drive into town was a short one but it was nice for both of them. Steve could hear the sound of Max's delighted laugh and her whoops of excitement. When they pulled up at the parking lot Steve helped Max off, her legs a little like jelly from the adrenaline. "That was so fun!" She giggled as Steve took the helmet off and put it in the seat. He put on some sunglasses and a beanie, along with his leather jacket they looked like a badass couple and Max liked it. "Where to first Captain?" "Well Tony gave me a list of things he said to get for you." "Why? Let's see it." Max reached across and grabbed the paper, not minding when Steve put an arm over her shoulder. "Clothes that don't look three years old! Cheeky bugger. More tops and jeans. I'm gonna slap him." Max sounded very British and it reminded him a little of Peggy but in a nice way. "Wanda also said to get you some new shoes since yours are falling apart." "I would be mad but it's true." Max put the list back into Steve's pocket and laced her left hand into the fingers of Steve's that was resting in her shoulder. "I don't have money though." "Tony taught me how to use his credit card. He said if you're going to be part of the team then you should probably not steal." Max laughed. "I'm defiantly slapping him now." They walked past a forever 21 and Steve pulled them in. "Natasha and Wanda suggested this shop." "I think this is the first time I've been shopping with a guy since I was little and in the sweet shop in the UK." "But you've been other places with men." Steve asked, a pang of jealously in his gut. He quickly pushed it away putting it to her sounding a little like Peggy. "Yeah I sneaked a few friends into a movie a few times and I had one date with this guy who was a complete asshole." Max looked over the railings and rolled her eyes in a comical way. "You look a bit confused. Have you ever been in a clothing shop before?" Max teased Steve for his bewildered expression looking at all the styles and types of clothes. "Yes but men's clothes are shirts jeans and jumpers and that's pretty much it. What is this?" "A jumpsuit." Max kindly explained walking to a railing near him and looking at a fuzzy blue jumper and started laughing. "What's so funny?" Instead of answering him Max held the jumper up. It was his shield with the words 'Captains girl' above it. Heat instantly rose to his cheeks as Max put it back. "I might get Tony that for Christmas or his Birthday, whichever's first." Pulling out a few tops and jeans Max walked to the changing rooms and disappeared behind the curtain to try them on. "So how's your first experience of women's clothing?" "Confusing." "Don't worry, I still don't get it." Max shrugged looking at herself in the mirror wearing a white crop top which had two straps over her cleavage. Paired with the high waisted denim shorts she looked good. Finally they finished in the store and walked around to some other shops. Wanda had told Steve to buy her some converse and that there was no choice. She knew Max had been looking at them online on the tablet Tony gave her and knew it would make her feel better knowing someone noticed the little things she did. Plus Wanda felt bad for avoiding her a little after she killed that man. Max had blushed when Steve explained and tried to say it didn't matter but Steve wasn't budging. At lunch they found a nice cafe and got some sandwiches and a muffin each. Steve had taken his hat off and Max had hung her jacket on the back of her chair. "So this guy tries to avoid me and Mel but I blocked the door and when I become visible I swear he nearly crapped his pants! I was laughing so hard." Max finished her amusing story of a guy who she had been sent to collect money off of for Dan and Steve normally would not like these stories but this one was quite funny. "Did you ever take the drugs they were selling?" He asked tearing off a piece of his muffin. "No! I never wanted to ether. This is the best sandwich I've ever eaten like this has to be a dream." She exclaimed making Steve smile. They settled into a little bit of quiet watching the people pass by on the sunny Saturday. Steve couldn't help but think about Max and how she was someone he probably would have been fighting back in Brooklyn. She, the mob debt collector and him the little punk who always found trouble. "You have some muffin on your lip." Max licked her lip. "Have I got it?" "No otherside. Nope. Here let me." Steve chuckled and reached over, brushing the crumb away with his thumb. A spark ran through him when his skin touched hers and he felt better knowing Max felt it as she took a sharp intake of breath. His thumb lingered but Max's eyes met his, her lips slightly parted. Blushing Max coughed and pulled away excusing herself to the restroom. Once at the sinks Max fanned her face trying to cool down the burning on her face. "Holy crap." She muttered and leaned against the sinks holding onto the basin with her hands, white knuckling the porcelain! Taking a deep breath she couldn't keep Lokis voice from her dream out of her head. Ignoring it Max sniffed trying to steady herself, he didn't like her it was just a weird moment between friends and nothing more. Right? Seeing she had been in there for a few minutes Max exited the bathroom and sat back down, going back to her drink, avoiding the muffin. "So where next Captain?" Max asked once she was sure her voice wouldn't break or squeak. "Well I want to stop at the art store and get a new set of pencils." "I never knew you drew." "Oh yes! It's a relaxing hobby." "Wow the famous Captain America draws, so you draw bald eagles voting?" Max teased gently. Steve raised an eyebrow but a smile broke past it. Once they finished he put the hat back on before they left the cafe, Steve greatly tipping the waitress. The art store was very hipster. Wooden walls and floors with rails upon rails of various paint and art supplies. Steve immediately walked towards the pencils and charcoal. "Hello!" A cheery old man spoke from behind the desk. Max walked over to him, letting Steve look for what he wanted. "Hey." "Steve's a regular. He's never brought anyone else here before. What's your name darling?" "Max. I never knew he drew until about ten minutes ago." "Well he loves it. Are you two a couple?" "Oh no, just friends!" Max laughed but her blush gave her away. The man looked knowingly at her but gestured zipping his lips. "Just these today Jimmy, how's your wife?" "She's alright, still well enough to yell at me so she's going strong." After Steve handed the money back they left the shop and Steve put the pencil set into the bag with the clothes. Once they reached the motorbike Max's bright smile came straight back! Steve handing Max the helmet and put the bag in the seat compartment before getting on. Max climbed on behind him and held in tight. Secretly Max enjoyed holding onto him, who wouldn't it's Captain bloody America! Steve opened the door for Max to enter into the living room to see Tony sat lounging on a sofa nursing a whiskey. "Tony, its four in the afternoon." Steve scolded. "The early bird gets the word or some other inspirational bullshit. Go get changed Max so you can prove if you look the same." "Why?" "If you have completely different clothes Clint owes me fifty bucks. Go!" Sighing Max thanked Steve and went back to her bunk to change and make Clints day by getting fifty dollars. "So Captain my Captain how was it?" Tony leaned on the back of the sofa as Steve got a drink from the bar. Just water though. "Good we got everything in the list and the shoes so wanda won't be mad. No one recognised me or her so nothing to report." "No. How did it go?" Tony put a strange emphasise on the words, prompting Steve to understand. He blushed and sat on an arm chair knowing he as not getting out of this. "Nothing happened." "Don't lie, it doesn't match your wholesome image." Tony smirked over the whiskey glass. "I whipped a crumb off her lip that was all." "Scandalous! Tabloids will go crazy for that!" Sarcasm was clear in his voice. "I think you owe Clint fifty dollars." Max spoke from the door way as she came to join the two men at the chairs. She wore the white crop top and some high waisted jeans with a green cardigan with the sleeves rolled up. "We got you a present." Max smiled and handed Tony a bag with something in it. "Please let it be alcohol." Tony's face when he saw the jumper from the store with Steve shield on it made Max bend over laughing! Steve pulled her onto his lap to avoid the bag being thrown at her. "I heard you owe me fifty, cough up Stark." Clint smirked and chuckled at the jumper. "I think we all knew you were a Captain America girl secretly." Clint commented. "Twitter would love a picture of that. Your fangirls will go crazy." Max said. She had curled up in Steve's knee and he was resting his arms around her waist. "Already uploaded." Wanda chuckled from behind Steve and Max's armchair. The door banged open, drawing the attention of all five people in the living area to it. "I have returned and have news!" Thor booked from the doorway


	6. Chapter 6

Max woke to the sun streaming through some curtains. As her eyes adjusted Max felt peaceful, relaxed, tranquil. Arcing her back she smiled at the little pop it gave and opened her eyes fully.  
She looked around and saw she was on a king sized four poster bed made with a wooden frame with pale green sheets. Little cords of bronze and gold wrapped around the four posters and met at the top underneath a first green canopy. Max was alone in the bed, lying on her back and her hands on her stomach on top of the sheets. A door opened and someone walked in.  
"Good morning darling." It was Loki. Strangely Max was not afraid of him. She felt something like love when she looked at him.  
"Morning." Loki sat next to her on the bed and Max sat up giving him a kiss.  
"We have only one more day of travel till we reach our destination."  
"Good, I'm tired of the ship, maybe we could go for a walk."  
"Sounds lovely." Loki pushed a stray hair out of her eyes and handed her a glass of water, which Max took and drank. Calmness seemed to bubble around them as they sat together, Loki's arms wrapped around Max.  
"I'm glad you originally helped the Avengers."  
"Why?"  
"If you had refused their offer you would be dead and I would not have met you."  
"I never knew anyone who could make destruction of worlds sound so romantic."  
"I have many gifts."  
"Oh really?" Max teased her seemingly boyfriend.  
"Should I demonstrate a few in my lady?"  
"Feel free my lord." With a chuckle Loki dominated Max's mouth. 

Max sat up startled! Gasping and looking around she saw she was in her bunk at the compound.  
"What the hell?" She mumbled. The digital clock in the radio said it was 4am and Max could tell she wasn't going to get back to sleep. Sighing she decided to get up and have a little work out. She changed into black sports leggings and a sports bra. Putting in her trainers Max walked to the kitchen and got herself a banana which she ate on the way down to the gym.  
The gym looked more like a robot dojo from a cheesy 80's action film but the computer on the side by the door meant you could pick a simulation and a hologram would create a 'person' for you to fight. Choosing hand to hand combat Max stood in the centre and waited a few seconds for the man to appear. He ran towards her but Max jumped into a forward roll and kicked him in the back, knocking him over. Going in for a punch to the stomach he rolled and jumped back up, sending a punch towards the side of her face. Ducking to the side, just before impact, she did the same to the hologram but as she punched it, it punched her in the stomach. Somehome Stark made it so the impact was real!  
Grunting Max stumbled back and waited for the hologram to attack her. As he ran towards her again she stayed on her feet but ducked to the side and managed to wrestle it into a headlock. Using his weight the hologram pushed them in the floor but Max kept a tight grip around his neck until the hologram faded and disappeared! Max stood up and shock out her muscles. Her neck cracking as she moved it side to side. She felt a bit better. Walking to the part of the gym with the equipment Max picked up some boxing gloves and put them on, punching away her dream and going over what had been said the night before when Thor got back. The burned phone tracer was useless. No one there and when they tried to send a text it wouldn't send. Tony destroyed the phone and any possible trackers within it. Thor had also said that Loki had shielded himself from Asgard and Himdal so no one knew where he was. Anyone captured was cloacked along with any attackers! Back at square one Wanda had suggested everyone sleep on it and see if any ideas came up over the course of the night. Obviously Tony went straight to his workshop and was more than likely still there running on caffeine and stubborness! Bruce had gone to his room and played some Indian music until 1 that morning and Steve worked out then went to bed. It was so frustrating back at square one with Loki still able to be inside her head and potentially able to read her thoughts. Max was almost certain Loki had something to do with that dream, just another way to mess with her and she hated it! She once knew a dude that could control fire and right now she wanted to have his power and watch Loki burn.  
With one final finishing punch Max stopped and grabbed a bottle of water from the huge pile in the corner of the room.  
"Frustrated?" Steve spoke.  
"Extreamly."  
"I am too. I don't like Loki having anything over us."  
"I bet he's somewhere far away laughing at us!" Max growled and sat on the climbing bars. The first time Natasha has seen her so that the ginger woman had been surprised but Max explained she like being high up when she was angry so she could see everything going on.  
"We will find him Max. I promise."  
"Don't make promises you can't keep. Maybe someone should scout out that place Thor went to. He said he hadn't been inside of it so maybe there's something he didn't see."  
"It seems like the only logical thing to do but the risks are phenomenal!"  
"Why don't Asgard help?" Steve sighed and stood in front of Max his hands just above her knees rubbing soothing circles into them.  
"I don't know. Maybe pride or maybe they are but we don't know about it."  
"Are we making this overly complicated? If this was on the streets we would send a team in to scout and get hostages then bring them back to base and interrogate them."  
"This isn't the streets, we have to answer to the politicians." Steve dropped his head, wishing it was as simple as it could be. Max ran her fingers through his hair and gently scraped her nails along his scalp, electing a satisfied moan from him. Steve's hair was super soft and Max liked the feeling of it running through her fingers.  
"Something's bending rules gets results." She mused. Steve chuckled gently and looked up at Max.  
"You sound like Natasha."  
"She isn't exactly what someone would call a failure."  
"No but she was nearly put in prison." Steve looked into Max's eyes. The warm brown spoke so much but also so little. They said her confusion but she had a certain calmness to them which steve couldn't understand.  
"What are you thinking soldier?" Max muttered her eyes flickering around Steve's face.  
"You seem calm but also agitated. It's a puzzle. A Rubicx Cube almost." That last comment made Max throw her head back and laugh.  
"Are you any good at solving those Rogers?" She flirted.  
"No but there is always a first time for everything." Slowly Steve leaned in letting Max know what was going to happen. Max finished off the distance and kissed Steve hungrily, leaning in and letting Steve pull her off the bars and place her on her feet. Steve placed his hands on the sides of Max's face as her hands gripped his shoulder for balance. Max stood on her tiptoes because of Steve height, even though he was leaning down. Pulling away to catch his breath Steve grinned.  
"Did you like that?"  
"Yes." Max bit her lip. She had been kissed and even had sex but it was a way to release frustration, but this was different there was certain chemistry that made her skin tingle and it felt like every fiber in her body was on full alert as his hands ran soothingly up and down her arms.  
"Don't tell Tony. He thinks there is something going on and I don't want him to be right." Max laughed and put her head on his chest, still laughing. She nodded and pulled away to look up at Steve and laughed again.  
"What?" He asked a bright smile on his face.  
"Just thinking that they say the US and the UK have a special bond. We seem to embody that slightly." Rolling his eyes playfully Steve hugged Max and placed a kiss onto the top of her head.


	7. Chapter 7

At about nine everyone gathered in the meeting room. A long steel table with everyone including Sam, Rhoda and Max sat around it. Peter was busy with the fantastic four so he was absent. Steve and Tony sat at the head with a projector screen behind them for FRIDAY to project onto.   
"So we know that the burner phone lead to an old factory about an hours fly west from here. It was certainly in use from what Thor could see but we have no idea if Loki is actively involved in this particular building. Did anyone come up with any ideas overnight?" Steve asked pushing various folders to everyone.   
"I did." Vision spoke up. "The only logical explanation is to send Max in. She is the only one amungst us who can go in without being seen." Max narrowed her eyes incredulously at the red android, trying to figure out if that was a joke or not. Everyone else did the same.  
"Was that a joke?" Max asked clearly not coming to a conclusion.  
"No. It's the only logical conclusion since Thor said Asgard was not going to help us."   
"No!" The majority of the table shouted at him, including Wanda.  
"We cannot send anyone in until we have more intel." Bruce spoke up, "Wee need a way to get someone close enough to the operation to ask question without actually going in." Tony looked like he was about to give an unhelpful and sassy answer but Steve cut him off.  
"Yes but how." Suddenly anlightbulb went off in Max's head. She tuned out everyone else squabbling and disagreeing letting the plan float around and form inside her head.   
"One question." She spoke over the noise, "is kidnap and demand answers off the table?"  
"Yes!" Clint stated.  
"Well then plan B. Thor if Loki can get in my head can I get in his?" Steve seemed to cotton on to where this was going.  
"I am not sure. Rumours were rife but there was never a conclusive answer."  
"Fine. Next time he decides to say hi in my sleep I can try to trick him into giving me something." Looking around she saw three types of faces. The no way in hell camp was lead by Steve, the this could work campbwas lead by a pondering Bruce who was scrutinising every detail in Max's face. Finally the yes camp was headed up by the enthusiastic Tony!   
"I don't see the damage in trying." Natasha spoke trying to make a helpful conversation instead of the foreseeable eruption of voices. "She stays here and we can keep an eye on her while working on another option."   
"You can tell you were a spy." Sam spoke through his mouthful of toast.   
"It makes sense, exploit what we have until something else arises."   
"But does not bleed when Loki makes a connection with her? Would it be safer to not risk the anger it might elect from him if caught?"  
"Do you have a better idea?" Rhody shrugged looking at Thor.   
"If Max stays within the compound when asleep then we can monitor her and there is medical on sight. The blood types I got from the blood tests earlier but I don't think he could do too much harm." Bruce spoke, slipping into doctor mode.   
"FRIDAY monitor Max as she sleeps! If there is even the slightest sign of distress wake up Bruce. See sorted!" Tony beamed.  
"Not fully Stark. This is a long shot at best, we need another operation running alongside this one."   
"Captain just reach out to all known vulnerable Inhumans or super people and see if any have an information or if they know of friends going missing."   
"Tony this is not a joke we have to get some reliable inside information!" Steve snapped. He rubbed his face with his left hand and sighed, shoulders dropping in frustration.   
"Loki could be reaching out to local people for help. He has to have someone helping to remain hidden this long. Maybe some gangs are helping him." Clint drank his coffee and spoke, it was impressive.  
"No way! The gangs and street fighters hate the government and law enforcers but they hate Loki more. A lot of them helped get people to saftey in New York. If any even considered helping him they would be shot!" Max shrugged clearly not worried.   
"What about anyone else?" Wanda spoke.  
"No. I know everyone personally who would fit under the category of useful to Loki and no one would help him of their own free will."  
"Could he have the power of the tesseract at his disposal?" Vision said his first useful thing of the meeting.  
"No it is hidden in a place only the Allfather knows of and he has pulled the power of five of the nine realms most powerful magic wielders to help protect it!"   
"Is there a spell that could cause mind control?" Steve asked.  
"None that I know of would be powerful enough for him to keep up on one person. They are very weak and only used to help calm our horses in the midst of battle!"   
"Wait. There was something Violet said a while back." Max leaned back and chewed her nail thinking about what had been said. Suddenly she pales and her jaw dropped! "There was a kid she was helping, about five who lost his parents but had the power to control minds. Loki could have manipulated him."  
"Even I cannot control the army he is using on Earth." Wanda reassured her. "The age and experience and power capacity are against that child completely. Don't worry."   
"Why can't Asgard ask Himdal to look for him? It's just keeping an eye on the problem we have to deal with for a second time!" A grumbling Clint asked Thor.  
"I shall try to ask the Allfather but do not become too hopeful." Thor nodded his head and left to go back to his home. 

They had been in the meeting for three hours so Steve called lunch. Max walked to the window behind Steve and looked across the field that Tony used to test his suits and Sams Jetpacks. The door clicked shut and two strong arms wrapped around Max's waist.   
"Hey." Steve breath in her ear.  
"Hey."  
"You don't have to ask Loki if you don't want to." Sighing Max turned around in Steve's arms and looked deep into his eyes.   
"I want to. I like what Natasha said about it, she's right." Sighing Steve placed his forehead on Max's which meant he had to bend down because of the considerable height difference.   
"Doesn't make it easy to know he could rip you apart from the inside out."  
"Thanks for the reassuring words asshat!" Max laughed, "We need to go because otherwise Tony will gossip and spy on us and I have a headache from all the shouting."


	8. Chapter 8

Buzz.  
Buzzzz.  
BUZZZZ!  
Max rolled over and fumbled around for her phone in the dark.  
"Hey its Max." She croaked, wiping sleep from her eyes.  
"Max. Max is it you?" A terrified Violet sounded down the phone. Max jumped up quicker than if someone had chucked a bucket of ice water over her.  
"Violet what is it what's happening?"   
"The men are back but they found where we were staying. Max I have most of the kids with me but... but I think the men might have a few please help!"  
"I'm on my way where are you?"  
"They're coming I'll text you the location." The phone line died and Max slammed the button that revealed her outfit!   
"FRIDAY wake everyone up and say we might have a lead in Loki. Tell them to get ready to be gone in 10 minutes!" Quickly pulling on her arm gauntlets Max ran down the corridor of bunks banging on everyone's door. Violet looked after about thirty children, all with powers, so something must be seriously wrong for her to be this worried!   
Pulling her hair into a bun she met Stark by the door to the jet. He hadn't even gone to bed.   
"Max what's happening. Here, to calm you." He offered her his whiskey but Max turned it down.  
"Violet called and the men are back but there is enough to take her and thirty children with powers."   
"Ok Max everyone's ready. Natasha you and Clint fly the jet and then come in with us." Steve barked orders as everyone piled onto the jet as the engine roared to life. "I want Bruce and Rhody and Wanda to stay by the jet and keep the children safe when we get them out. Everyone stay on comms. Thor isn't here so we need Sam to take his place in the strategy. Sam take the top and work down while we go in from other sides."  
"Which way am I going in?" Max was tapping her foot impatiently, adrenaline flooding her system, fear starting to wrap its icy tentacles around her heart.   
"Stay with me. You aren't tecniqually field cleared so do as I say to the word or you're out and staying in the jet."  
"Ok." Max started turning her worry into a fuel source for a strong field as she took the gun and holster she was handed by Stark.  
"Landing in two minutes." Natasha spoke while flicking a few switches.  
"We will get them out." Bruce tried to sooth Max but it didn't help. She gritted her jaw and stood next to Steve by the exit and as soon as the door opened she and Steve ran out and threw the front of the, recently abandoned, hotel.   
Violet ran down the stairs holding a five year old in her arms surrounded by about half the children she looked after.   
"Get on the Jet." Max ordered and ran up the stairs as Steve pointed. Natasha and Clint helping him cover the ground floor. Flying up the stairs Max followed the sound of the high pitched note. Putting her shield up she burst in and saw Jack screaming! The high pitched note was his power and luckily it wasn't high enough to kill anyone. Max kicked the man in his back and punched his face until the man was unconscious! Grabbing Jack's hand she told him to run down the stairs to where Natasha was, she was directing the people to the jet.  
Carrying on Max easily found three more kids until a voice over the comms spoke into her ear.   
"Get to the jet everyone." It was an order from Steve. Hopefully everyone was at the jet so Max sprinted to the jet and hugged the kids that hugged her, quickly counting.   
"We're missing Adnan." Violet's face was red and puffy and tears ran down her face at the realisation.   
"He's up here but the walls are enforced I can't get in." Sams voice crackled over the comms.  
"Same get me up there."  
"No way Max!" Steve started protesting.  
"Yes I can get him!" Sam appeared and Max wrapped her arms around his neck and focused on staying clear headed. The voices screaming in the comms were distracting so she took it out. Landing on the roof Max let go of Sam.   
"Which room?"  
"Directly below us."   
"Ok" with that Max let herself fall through the roof and into the room. Landing on her feet. 

It had been half an hour since the team arrived and Max was feeling the emotional and physical strain. Pushing it to the side Max stayed invisible and kept a shield tightly wrapped around her body as she creeped around the top most floor!   
"They must have forgotten you child." A deep voice purred. Max knew that voice. Loki!   
"Violet would never forget me! You're just a bully and you will be stopped!" Adnan's voice adimantly fought shading Loki's as Max crept into the room through the wall, staying as close to Adnan as she could. A man whispered something into Loki's ear and they left to go to another room close by. Reappearing into Adnan's view Max put a finger on her lips and pulled the small dagger out of her gauntlets and cut the ropes trying his arms, legs and torso to a chair! Picking the twelve year old up Max put him carefully in his feet before wrapping an arms around his waist ready to turn them both invisible and get them the hell out of here!   
"Hello, darling." Tensing Max kept Adnan behind her back, turning to face Loki. "I was rather hoping you would turn up. Last time you were quite impressive." A growl fought to get out of Max's chest but she kept it down putting a shield around both of them.   
"I am actually surprised my dear brother is not here. Not that it was expected he would come, he is a little busy on Asgard at the present moment." A cruel grin crossed his face at some unpleasant thought going on inside his head.   
"Let the kid go." Max ordered forcefully.  
"Now why would I do that? Give me a reason." The famous smirk of a deranged man graced Loki's face and he wore it like a medal of honour!   
"I'll stay until he's gone. We can talk face to face."  
"Sounds interesting. You made the rules little one. Let's play!" He clapped his hands and his men stood back letting the two in the shield see the way to the top of the building.   
"Go." Max pushed Adnan.  
"But Max what about yo....."  
"I said go!" Max shouted and watched the kid run out and towards the roof.   
"So what would you like to talk about?" Loki walked around her like he was inspecting her at a market. A piece of meat! Max was not going to give him that so she turned as he walked, staying on full alert.   
"Ok then, how about why you aren't helping the Avengers. Surely you do not see them as a sort of family or you would be running to be going back to them. Since the child is with the others. Your precious Captain is possitivly raging!" Loki grinned, enjoying this game!  
"It's not about them. It's about who I'm saving by helping them."  
"Or maybe you want redemption for your countless kills? Are you a changed person or simply playing a part?"  
"I don't care about your opinion! We have the same goal, so we might as well work together to stop you and your band of evil." Max nodded towards the glazed over faces of the men scattered around the room.   
"You do not want to leave." Loki concluded, stopping right in front of Max. "You feel the pull I feel and it's taking over. The intoxicating feel of it is overwhelming, you cannot fool yourself for long. The Captain is just a diversion, a change of flow, temporary but still it makes me wonder." He went to touch Max face but she took him by surprise.  
Kicking his genitals and jamming a dagger inbetween his collarbone and neck Max turned invisible and ran as fast as her legs would carry her to the roof!   
"Go! Go! Go!" She shouted as she grabbed hold of Sam who flew off into the jet, which was already in the air. Sam dropped her into the jet and flew off with Wanda, Stark and Rhody. Steve pulled her into the open area in the jet behind Nat and Clint, where everyone was standing or sitting. Until the door was shut and Max felt steady Steve kept his arms tight around Max's frame and only let go when she pulled away. 

At the compound Max quickly left the group and went to her bunk. The sound of Rhody ringing his SHIELD contact to get them all re homed faded away. Taking her uniform off Max got changed into her comfiest clothes and sat on her bed. Staring blankly at the wall.   
"Max what happened?" Steve gently spoke and sat in front of Max but with enough distance so she wouldn't feel fenced in.   
"Loki was there."   
"Oh Max!" Steve gasped and hugged her. "Do you want to talk about it?"  
"No. Nothing to talk about, he said nothing much about trivial matters." The formal words clued Steve into something being wrong but he didn't push it, that would do more harm than good.   
Steve looked at Max's face, taking a careful look at every little feature. Her strong jaw and cheekbones. Deep brown eyes. The way her nose scrunched slightly and a slight line showed on her forehead. Everything.   
"Do you want me to stay?" He asked. Max chewed her lip as she thought.   
"No. I just need to rest." Something Loki said had struck a cord and she had to figure out what it was before she let Loki have anymore control over her and her life.


	9. Chapter 9

"Three months! There's been nothing!" Tony burst into the living area and pulled out a bottle of beer and started drinking it.  
"Where did you find that?" Wanda asked giving Tony a mystified look. The girls were having a girls night and by that it meant Natasha, Wanda and Max were watching Netflix and eating popcorn. Wanda liked braiding Max's hair and putting little flower hair clips in it and posting it to Twitter under the hashtag #redsbluehairinspo. Max mainly text Violet who was settling into her foster family well and Natasha was critiquing the fighting scenes from whatever show they were watching!   
"He's a squirrel. You should see how much food he hides in the workshop." Nat laughed and watched Tony stand up and walk to the bar muttering about patterns and 'crazy mother fucking gods'.   
Max looks super and watched Tony mutter and pace behind the wood coloured bar. He was being dramatic, yes he had been scanning every government report system and security camera in a one hundred mile radius of New York, including New York! But to Max this anger and frustration was sudden and not how Tony normally reacted when he was angry, he would hole himself in the workshop and occasionally rant to Bruce but that was it. Something was off so when the Netflix marathon finished and they had persuaded Tony to get some much needed rest Max turned herself invisible and went to the workshop.  
Once there she looked at the monitor of his main computer. He had several scattered around for various projects and incoming and outgoing messages but this was where the most critical things were stored. This was the best place to start. Wiggling the mouse FRIDAY spoke through the speakers.  
"Max is there anything I can help you with?"  
"I'm just setting something up for Tony. It's a surprise." That seemed to convince FRIDAY! Max got to work looking at open files and then she stumbled across something huge. Quickly changing the file she stayed for a few more minutes, before leaving. Invisibly going through the walls, Max sat on her bed, shaking slightly. She knew FRIDAY wasn't monitoring the bedrooms all the time so this was the safest place to figure out what she saw!   
The file had information about the hadlet. Energy readings and measurements. Most of which Max didn't understand, or want to, the kicker however was the latest energy reading and tracing. It was from that morning. Somehow Tony was able to scan the hadlet and then attempted to trace the energy patterns in a desperate grab in finding Loki. A note on the bottom of this file said that Tony was to move the storage so that Max would not find it! This meant Max had been guarding a false hadlet and that made her angry. Beyond angry! She wanted to crush all of the Avengers one by one!  
The security was a level 10 wich meant for it to even be accessed all of the Avengers, Rhody and an outside official had to approve it so everyone, including Steve, knew about it. Things had been going well with Steve and no one else knew about them but Max couldn't help but think that maybe it was a lie as well. Max knew she was distrustful of people so this could be an over exaggeration but Steve was in one huge lie!   
Standing up Max took a deep breath and tried to plan her next move.   
'Two main options. Stay or go.' She thought, slowly taking her hair down and putting the flower clips in a drawer, not needing more anger to cloud her judgment right now.   
If Max stayed she knew in her heart she wouldn't be able to not tell the team she knew and things would go to blows and she didn't want to be in the situation where she was forced to stay!   
'Going it is!' The voice in her head spoke. Taking her rucksack Max packed every thing she could fit in it. She changed into about five layers and her combat boots and left erg hair down with a hat on it. The nights were cold and to reach the bus station Max would have to walk all night. Violet was being looked after in Pensilvania. She couldn't stay in New York but she needed someone she knew so she wouldn't make stupid decisions while feeling, what could only be described, as wrath! 

At eleven o'clock on the dot Steve was awake in his bunk waiting for Max. It was their little ritual, she would come to his bunk at eleven then stay for a bit and be gone to hers at five in the morning. Once it got to half past Steve started to worry but decided not to go looking just yet. At twelve he tiptoed to Max's bunk.  
'She probably just fell asleep' he thought. Opening her door Steve saw the bed was empty. Shutting the door silently he turned on her light and saw a lot of her things were missing. Panic started to rise within him. Her personal items had gone, leaving only some clothes and a pair of heels she borrowed from Wanda for something a bit ago.   
"FRIDAY where is Max?"  
"I cannot find her in the compound Steve. Shall I inform Mr Stark of her absence?"  
"Yes please." Steve checked her bathroom, he knew she wasn't there but he had to check.   
"Where is she?" Tony burst, not very quietly, into Max's bunk.   
"I don't know! That's why I told FRIDAY to tell you."  
"What's going on?" A sleepy Bruce appeared after being woken from a dream about neurones by the door banging.  
"Max is missing!" That woke him up.   
"Bruce come with me to look at the camera feeds! FRIDAY wake everyone and say Max is missing. She cannot leave this compound!" 

The bus was crowded and full of sketchy looking people. What normal person would be at a bus station at three in the morning. Besides someone going home early from a club, but they were easily recognisable! Max was at the back in the corner by the window next to a gaunt looking man with bloodshot eyes and he stunk of cocane. He was shaking and his fingers looked like they were tapping on an invisible keyboard. He sniffed so loud every so often Max thought he was using the first time it happened but she quickly learned to turn it out. In front of her was a pair of teenagers who sounded like they were running away. Max didn't care all she cared about was getting to Violet's undetected! If she got there and the team were waiting for her she could easily slip away before they noticed her, also if the foster parents saw her she could hide and run incase they told SHIELD. For some reason they needed her in the compound so Max had to think it was bad! Luckily most of the Avengers relied on their powers so could miss the tiny things that could give her away. Her hair was the biggest one but Max kept it tucked under her hat and tried to make her chest look as flat as possible, trying to look like a boy was the best way to be undetected until she could hide her damned hair! Letting herself fall asleep Max placed a shield around her just incase they slipped into the bus while she was asleep, unlikely but not impossible. She balled up a thick jumper and used it as a pillow and as something to hide her face from the outside of the bus. The jumper was grey and had nothing that would point it out as hers as well as being plain, it should work. 

"I can't find anything in the cameras." Tony ran his hands through his hair and was about to pull it out!  
"She must have travelled invisible." Bruce spoke from another monitor.   
"The garage is still secure, nothing went in or out since Sam arriving back while the girls were watching TV." Rhody reported from the tablet he was holding.   
"I cannot feel her mind anywhere on the compound or the grounds. She is deffinatly gone from here." Wanda reported to Bruce since Tony was analysing the footage.   
"So she has travelled from here on foot while being invisible. She could have gone anytime from seven till Steve called us all at ten past twelve. She's got a head start on us." Bruce sighed.  
"We need to send someone to Dan's straight away as well as any place she normally went to in New York. Once we've ruled them out we can explains the search." A stormy eyed Natasha spoke.  
"Why would she leave?" Tony spun around on his chair.  
"No idea. Steve can you think of anything?" Bruce's direct question made Steve flush a little as everyone looked at him.  
"We were, as Wanda says, a thing. But everything was good."   
"May I add that Max was in here at Seven fifteen looking in Tony's main computer. She said she was setting up a surprise but nothing wasn't placed on, into or taken out of the computer and no files were copied."   
"No you tell us?" Tony roared while looking through the history. "I think I might know. She found the file on project cupholder." Everyone's face paled or sunk at the realisation that she knew they were lying. She was on the run and didn't want to be found and trying to find an invisible person was near impossible! 

After an excruciating long bus journey Max stretched her legs outside of the bus station bearish to Violets. Knowing her long blue hair was just calling for trouble she walked into the ladies toilets and locked herself in a stall. There wouldn't be any cameras looking down on people in the stalls but just to be safe she turned invisible before taking her hair out of the beanie before exiting the stall and standing in front of the mirror. Fortunately it was quiet so no one was in with her. Pulling out her switch blade Max cut her hair just above her shoulders. Clique but necessary! She shoved the hair into her rucksack and put the switch blade in the front pocket in her jeans, after she closed it. She put the hat back on before waiting for someone else to stagger into the foul smelling room before sliding through the closing door and slipped out of the bus station.   
Once Violet was moved Max memorised the way to her house from three different stations and this was one of them. Slipping into some woods Max waited till the sound of the busses was distant before she turned back to being visible. She couldn't tire too quickly! 

"I told SHIELD about Max being missing. If she appears at any of the foster parents of those kids they will ring it in. They also have agents aware so there are multiple feet on the ground." Rhody spoke after getting of the phone with the director of SHIELD. "They will find her."  
"We have Natasha and Clint keeping an eye around Dan's and Steve is in the jet ready to go as soon as we have a location. He is also monitoring the camera's from the compound." Vision spoke as he floated around trying to keep Tony sober and calm. An impossible task.  
"I should be out there looking!"  
"You would only draw attention Mr Stark. If Max does not want to be found then she will avoid any area iron man or Tony Stark is seen."   
"Visions right Tony. We have to stay here manning the phones and looking for any signs of Loki." Rhody clapped a hand in his friends shoulder before sitting down next to him.

Violet sat in the basement on a beanbag, surrounded by various books and text books and folders while tapping away on a lapto. The window opened and Violet heard a thud from some old dog baskets that were kept underneath the window.   
"Hey Max. SHIELD rang the Smiths to say that if they see you they have to call it in." The Smiths were her foster parents. Violet thought they were ok but she was itching to have her freedom back though! "They were just leaving for a few days away when the call came in so you're good." Turning visible, Max sat on an old sofa near Violet. "I won't rat you out don't worry." Violet smiled and offered a flushed Max a large bottle of water and a bag of chips. "I'm guessing Captain fine ass doesn't know you're here."  
"No. I mean he might've guessed but I didn't leave a note or anything." Closing the laptop Violet turned round so she was facing her friend. Max had removed her hat and four out of five layers.   
"Sorry it's warm the boiler is acting up. Why did you leave?"  
"Long story short I found a file that said the thing I had to hide was a fake and the real one was a level 10 clearance. To access it all the Avengers, Rhody and an outside government official would have to give the all clear! It was last moved yesterday. They all lied for some reason and no one was going to tell me. On the bus I also realised that I was never allowed off the compound by myself, it's just too weird."  
"Damn! How far is it to the bus station from the compound and how far from the station to here?"  
"Five hours walk from the compound. Way too long on the bus and two hours from the station to here."  
"No wonder you're hungry. Here PB and J. I don't want it anyway, too full." Violet handed a sandwich on a China plate to Max who was looking a bit tired.   
"Thanks."  
"There are no camera's in here but in the rest of the house there has to be. Children and Young people in care with Powers act, or something like that makes it mandatory. Along the lines of making sure the person and family is safe. Anyway you can stay down here and if you leave the window open you can get in and out. But stay invisible out of here."  
"How come this room doesn't have any cameras?"  
"Before SHIELD placed me here I spent a week in this facility so this shrink lady could 'judge my mental state" Violet put quotation marks around the words which made Max smirk. "She said that a place for me to go where it was private would be beneficial. Everything else she said was useless but I do like this place." She stretched her limbs out across the beanbag. "I found a loose floor board just under that old stereo so there's snacks and stuff in there if you get hungry."  
"Thanks Violet. I won't stay more than a couple of days at most. I just need to sort my head out and my next move. I don't want you in danger."  
"You've saved my butt several times, I think it's time for me to return the favour!" Max nodded, a silent thank you. Max looked around the basement. Old stereos and record players were littered around and a box of tools sat in the far corner under some stairs that lead to a door. Presumably the way to the main house. Beanbags and cushions were pulled in a large corner, Violet sat on them. The sofa was old and well loved but not here to be thrown out. The dog beds under the window were presumably so Violet could use her powers and not hurt herself if things went wrong.   
Violet had opened her laptop again and was tapping the keys with her brow furrowed. She saw Max looking at her inquisitively.  
"Summery paper. I promised the Smiths local church I would write a column for their newsletter, surprisingly they accept powered people. They want to column to inform the people who go about people like us! It's actually a really nice place to go, you'd really like it!"   
"I haven't seen you this relaxed since you took those kids in."  
"Can you blame me. They were a handful, I miss them but hey now I can swear and no one will care, well the Smith's but the shrink said it was an adjustment thing."   
"I'm glad. Really." Max smiled as she finished the sandwich off, it tasted great!  
"You can stay longer if you want. They Smiths don't come down here and if they do it's because it's important. You can stay here for as long as you want." Violet felt the urge to hug Max and not let go. She had sounded so happy over texts and phone calls, she guessed Steve had something to do with that. Knowing Max as well as she did Violet knew hugging Max was not a good idea, she wasn't one for hugs when she was angry or upset, she ran as fast as she could as far as she could. After Mel it was a minor miracle she hadn't left to go somewhere else.   
"I'm ok. I might get some sleep though." Max kicked her shoes off and laid down on the sofa, pulling a cushion under her for a pillow. Her eyes fluttered closed and Violet placed a blanket over her and tucked it around Max who smiled gently. Soon Max's even breathing filled the room and Violet knew she was asleep. She quickly went upstairs and made a couple more sandwiches and got a huge glass of water, leaving them on a small table next to the sofa before going back to her column. 

Loki's brow curled in agitation. He had made sure that file was open for Max to find, expecting her to confront the Avengers or even better find out where it was being held. She had done ether and now the Avengers weren't in such high alert along with SHIELD! This was not ideal but it was what it was. He would manipulate the situation to his likening but it would take a more subtle approach compared to his original plan. He needed information but he also needed Max to build up relationships with the Avengers to make her more likely to stay when she eventually found out their little secret. The thought that she had acted against his judgement made his thin lips curve into a wirey smile. He strumed his fingers on the ornate wooden arm of his chair trying to think of a new plan. In the mean time he could use what Max instinctively took with her as a start for what she would need when he brought her into the black market. Sighing Loki turned his attention back to the seamless preparation of his plan and the running of his subjects.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment telling me how you're liking this so far and if you like it leave a kudos or even a bookmark!!!!! Anyway hope you're having a good day/afternoon/evening   
> Love  
> Cant_Sleep_Coz_Marvel


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning Max woke up to the smell of cheese on toast. Opening her eyes Max took a moment to remember where she was and why she was there, sitting up she stretched and saw the glass of water which she gratefully downed.   
"Morning. You slept for around twenty four hours. You must've been tired." Violet smiled and sat down next to Max and gave her some cheese on toast.  
"This is so good thanks!"   
"No problem. There's a bathroom through the door at the back, it has not shower but let's be honest, we've gone for a lot longer than a couple of days without a shower." The girls chuckled and Violet ate her cheese on toast next to Max.   
"How are you feeling about everything? I know you really like Steve." Max tensed but she replied anyway.   
"I liked him but he was playing me for a fool the whole time. They clearly wanted me to stay in the compound or where they could control me, maybe our maybe sort of relationship was just another way of controlling me. I mean bravo, they were smart about it but still."   
"From what I saw that night when you came to save us from Loki, Steve was genuinely worried about you. It looked like he cared about you and not something you had. I agree dick move and all but I don't know."  
"The worst part is I was starting to think maybe Bruce didn't mean to hurt Mel and that he was an ok guy but now I just feel stupid. Stupid and embarrassed for thinking they were ok people and so angry because of the lie! I should never have gone with them."   
"They won't stop until they find you."  
"I know. I ditched my phone in a bin somewhere between the compound and the bus station. I mean now SHIELD know this country isn't safe for me anymore. The worst part is with the accords they can share the information. I have to go to a country where the accords are not signed and won't be anytime soon." Sighing Max slumped her shoulders in defeat. "Once I leave here I can never come back or contact you again. SHIELD and the Avengers will take you on for questioning."  
"Do you know why they needed you so bad?"  
"No. My powers aren't exactly, world ending, destructive and Loki only got into my head once I was in the Avengers facility. The time I spent with Dan was only gang stuff, I never endangered the public. Hell I protected the public from some of the worse people, yes I was a bad guy but I was nowhere near the worst! If I was a danger they would have locked me up not lied, it's something else and I have no desire to find out what. If I don't know what it is then maybe I'm safer for it. If I keep myself out of trouble then my face can stay out of papers long enough to get somewhere safe."  
"Just don't do anything rash. Please, stay here until you're ready, rested and sure. I don't want to find out you got captured and hurt."  
"I won't I promise I'll stay here."  
"Thanks Max." The girls hugged when they separated Violet had tears in her eyes.   
"What's wrong?" Max asked worriedly scanning her face and body for anything that could have hurt her.  
"I'll miss you when you go. You've been my best friend for years and you helped me and the kids and erg I'll just miss you!"  
"Hey if I get locked up somewhere along the way I promise I'll call you, like we said when we were younger." It was true the pair had a pact that if one got locked up their one phone call would be to eachother. Max or Mel would let the other know and once Violet had the kids to look after the deal was Max would look after the kids if Violet was locked away. The pair pinky swore and stamped thumbs, like they did when they were young.   
"When are the Smiths due back?"  
"Two days."  
"They can't know I was here."  
"They won't. No one except me will know!" Max nodded and stood up to stretch enjoying the feeling of her back joints popping. Sleeping in a ball was not the most comfiest thing in the world but it was not bad considering she was in the run from almost every law agency and secret service in the country.   
"I research the accords a while back for my column. These are the countries that signed and these are the countries that are predicted to sign in the next ten years." Violet pulled up two pieces of paper which were pinned to the wall in the basement.   
"Thanks. This is helpful."  
"I just want you happy. I thought Steve was that for you but I was wrong. Honestly I want to punch him in his face!" Max giggled lowly.  
"Me too but I'll settle for a YouTube video of it!" They smiled and Max handed the papers back to Violet.  
"I can't tell you where I'm going because you know SHIELD!"  
"I get it. Anyway I'll let you get changed and sorted." Max nodded and waited for Violet to walk upstairs before grabbing a jumper and some comfy joggers. In the bathroom she quickly changed and put on deodorant. Running the cold tap Max splashed her face and wiped it on the towel next to the sink. Looking at her hair in the mirror Max decided she liked it a lot. The blue stands were still pin straight but the length defined her jaw line. She could still put it up but it was easier to hide. Speaking of hiding she should probably die is Max thought. Maybe a dark brown or black to keep the risk of blue showing though to a minimum. Once she got to the new country she could leave it but for now she would need to change it or find some sort of believable wig. Shaving it was not an option, her hair symbolised her powers, her uniqueness, her siblings. It was too important to let these things go!   
Suddenly the mirror looked like it was rippling from the middle outwards. Noises were coming from it, like a voice in an echoey room. As the ripples got stronger so did the voice until the ripples stopped and a face was looking back at Max! This face made Max's knees almost buckle and she had to lean against the wall for support since fear had frozen her body in place.   
"Loki."  
"Hello my darling."  
"How?" Max's voice sounded more like a breathy gasp than actual words but Loki understood what she was saying.   
"A simple spell my pet. However finding th connection was slightly harder. Nothing a little bit of concentration could not work around. If you were in another country I would still be able to contact you."  
"How did you know?"  
"It took a bit more magic but once you were awake I was able to place myself inside your head, I heard what you were saying. Unfortunately I could not hear your thoughts but I digress, I am here to ask you a simple question, one you already know. I fear that under your change in circumstances you might have a different answer for me!" His brow raised in a cocky, egotistical look. Guilt wrenched through her body because Max had considered saying yes to Loki's offer several times on her way to Violet's. The main barrier was she couldn't contact him but now he had contacted her that wasn't there to hide behind!   
"You will be safe my darling. I know that you do not have the Hadlet and I would still value you without that little detail."  
"How would I know you aren't planning to use me to power it like all the other people with powers you've taken?"   
"There is still so much you do not know little one. I am happy to give you all the answers you wish for in exchange for one little word." He punctuated the last three words letting Max know the exact word he wanted to hear, but something was stopping her. Was it Steve or the threat that Loki could kill her friends, the few Max had! Ether way on Earth she was alone and being hunted down for lord knows what and suddenly Loki, the thing that literally wanted to kill the planet and everything on it, seemed the safest option.   
"Max are you ok?"  
"Yes just a bit sick from the bus yesterday! I'll be ok." She shouted back to Violet through the door.   
"I have to go out for some groceries I'll be back in an hour at least, depending on the lines and stuff."   
"Ok enjoy." Max appreciated Loki not making a noise during the quick conversation.  
"This" Max waved her hand in front of the mirror, "Is just a figment of my imagination."  
"I can assure you I am not." The snake smirked sadistically.   
"Prove it." As if anticipating this Loki picked up a small picture of Max and her siblings when they were little. It dropped through the mirror and bounced off the sink onto the floor.  
"I thought I lost that!" Max gasped, "How the hell do you have it?" Her anger flared up again.  
"You gave it to me sweetheart and if you come to me I can tell you everything you want to know about why you cannot remember our encounter. I will also hold true to the promise of not destroying your planet once I have the Hadlet. You will be safe and looked after with me and shall help me rule over the black market of the realms! Just say the word." Holding the picture in her hands Max couldn't help the tears forming in her eyes and she placed the picture into her bra, keeping it safe.   
"Ok. Yes!" No sooner had the word shuddered out Max felt like she was spinning around and moving on the world worst rollercoaster. She wanted to be sick but the pressure around her wouldn't let her but within a few seconds she landed on the soft green covers of the bed from her dream. Trying to control her rapid breathing Max sat up and looked around her, seeing Loki step away from a stone basin filled with, what looked like, water.   
"Welcome pet. I amglad we can finally meet in less aggressive circumstances." Clearly he meant the attack on Violet and the children. Still feeling a little dizzy and overwhelmed Max couldn't process Loki moving to the bed and slowly sitting in front of her. As soon as he was however one of her shield went up around her. Loki chuckled.  
"You will come to no harm here. Not from me or my subjects. You have no need to protect yourself here."  
"Where am I?"  
"Why I thought you figured that out from the delightful dream I gave you. This is, what humans would call, a space ship! It was the wasiest way to avoid the Avengers and my docile goldfish of the brother." The words 'Avengers' and 'brother' were spoken as if they were the foulest thing Loki had ever said in his life. "Here I rule and you shall rule besides me, for you are a queen. You have proven yourself to be a good leader and I admire your bravery and loyalty, even if misplaced." The seemingly familiar pang of sadness caused by loss threatened to rear its blue, watery head but Max pushed it back down, refusing it to let her trust this maniac fully.   
"Yes with the Avengers it was misplaced but Violet and the children are what I was and still am protecting!"  
"I would expect nothing less my darling."  
"Stop with the creepy pet names! It's Max." Loki, the fucker, had the audacity to laugh a little at this!   
"My dear Max I will not promise to stop calling you by these as you call them 'pet names'! To everyone outside these rooms however you shall be Max." Taking what she could get Max nodded and pulled the shield a little closer to her. If he wanted to hurt her Max was sure he could have and would have but she was not risking letting it down just yet.   
"I took the liberty of bringing with you your belongings, however you have little need of most of them but I felt some of the more personal item would be of use. I would not wish to replace such items with a sentimental value or you are familiar with. You will however be given clothing and shoes to wear so you will not have to wear what will make you look like someone the marketers would take advantage of." Nodding a silent thanks Max saw Loki place the offending bag in a draw which he hastily shut. He then opened a large wardrobe to show an array of clothes hung up for her, mostly in green and blacks with bronze jewellery pieces along the top.  
"I though this was your room."  
"You are half correct my dear. This is our room!"  
Max couldn't see any thing for her to sleep on. She guessed Loki wouldn't want her on his desk full of documents and papers or the chair tucked neatly under it. As if reading her thought Loki tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. The cool touch made Max jump, she hadn't realised her shield was down. Loki chuckled light heartedly at the shiver that ran down her spine.  
"You will sleep with me in my bed for you are my queen. I am a gentleman and will not pressure you into anything but I would not mind if something did happen from our newfound proximity." The deep sultry tone made Max shudder but she shut those thoughts down.  
'Probably the effect of the crazy things that have happened over these past few days.' Max though. She stood up to get a better look at the room. A lot of wood and stone but it had a fireplace and a very soft dark green carpet.   
"You can have a look around. I will be working at the desk for an hour but feel free to ask me anything at anytime." Loki smiled before walking to the wooden desk leaving Max to ponder her situation. A little voice at the back of her head was whispering that this was a bad idea but she silenced it. One one thing she knew, was to not trust Loki which meant she wouldn't get hurt like she was with Steve and right now that was all she needed!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You get two chapters in one night because I can't sleep. Insomnia is a bitch!   
> Love   
> Cant_Sleep_Coz_Marvel


	11. Chapter 11

Max was sat on the bed with Loki, who was at the bottom of it on her orders, eating some fruit and crackers for lunch. He hadn't let her leave the room yet but he had let her explore the adjoining bathroom. He sent for someone to bring them the food, the twisted and withered looking man scuttled in and scurried out, which had made Loki smirk.   
Max was holding the small photo of her siblings between her thumb and forefinger, deep in thought.   
"How did you really get this?" She eventually asked Loki.  
"I told you Darling, you gave it to me."  
"I would've remembered." She furrowed her eyebrows as she popes a red grape into her mouth.  
"I had to take your memories away."   
"You did what?" Max exclaimed. If looks could kill Loki would've been burned to a crisp in a second!  
"It was for your own saftey. I guess I could return it now." Loki stroked his chin thoughtfully.   
"Er yes please! Have you taken any other memories from me?"  
"No."  
"Give it back! That is a huge invasion of privacy you dick." Max was annoyed and Loki chuckled adding to her annoyance.   
"It might hurt a little."  
"I don't give a damn, give it back or so help me." Loki shock his head and walked over to Max standing on front of her. He placed hisfore and middle finger on her forehead, muttering a Slavic sounding language. Suddenly a white glow was in front of Max's eyes and she shut them tightly, trying to protect her eyes from the glow.

Max was sat at a bar drinking a whiskey from a glass. Freddy was the bartender and the rest of the bar was barely up to code and the customers reflected this. Grubby mirrors and drunks littered the room with the sounds of sex coming from the one bathroom everyone had to share. Max's fake ID was in her pocket even though she never used it, the bars round here knew her andjust gave her the order. A man sat next to her with black hair, black top and black skinny jeans. He quickly ordered a bottled beer. Max was itching to point out that there was five other bar stools and most of the booths free but didn't. She looked at the small picture of Mitchel, Mel and herself, drowning the tears in another drink from her glass!   
Earlier that day Mel had died!  
The tiny TV on the wall was playing a clip of Sockovia and Max started to shake with anger as the camera zoomed in on the hulk.  
"Turn it off!" She snapped at the youngish ginger behind the bar.  
"Not an Avengers fan?" The man asked, his voice deep and smooth and British.  
"Hulk isn't all he's cracked up to be." Max replied bitterly finishing her drink and waving for another.   
"I don't see the appeal myself. But I am sceptical of most people." Max looked at his face. Properly. His nose and jaw were angular and even in her drunken state she found him hot. Attractive was too bland a word, this man simply oozed sex appeal!  
"Is that why you're drinking alone on a Friday night?" She quipped, still sharp and the liquor gave her a burning confidence.  
"No I broke up with my girlfriend. What about you?"  
"Sister died. My advice, best way to get over someone is to get under someone else."  
"I am sorry about your sister."  
"Yeah, me too." Max swirled her drink before finishing it and leaving the money she owed. Standing to leave the man stood up with her.   
"I am Loki."  
"Max."  
"May I walk you home?"  
"You might get shot but your choice." He smiled. Boyish and hot, if Max wasn't so angry she would be jumping his bones right now!   
The pair walked into the evening air and Max stood up looking at the night sky, it reflected her mood. Dark and cloudy with no stars or any other light besides the few flickering street lamps.  
Max walked to the left, Loki following.  
"I have to say your hair is beautiful. Such a unique colour." God that voice was killing her.  
"Yeah guess." Max self consciously pulled a strand over her shoulder and fiddled with it.   
"What happened with your girlfriend?" Max asked, trying to push the attention away from her before she broke and pushed him against the wall and kissed him.  
"She cheated on me. We dated for a year!"   
"Rough." For some reason Loki didn't seem too upset about it, more void of emotion than anything else. Slightly aloof.  
"Did you mean what you said about getting under someone else at the bar?"  
"Yeah." With that he pulled her into an alley and pushed her against the grimy wall and kissed Max! Alcohol, grief and this Adonis in front of her impaired Max's judgement and she kissed him back, weaving a hand into his black hair and gave it a gentle tug, extracting a groan. His hands roamed her body and her free hand slipped under his shirt.   
"There's a motel round to corner of you want to go further." Max breathed against his lips, gulping in his smell. Books, vanilla and mint.  
"Yes." Max pulled him towards it and gave the receptionist some money in exchange for the key. 

Three hours and the best sex Max had had in a long time later, the two were on their backs breathing heavily and enjoying the peaceful afterglow. It was raining heavily outside and they both had agreed to stay the night rather than walk back to their own places individually. Max turned so her back was too Loki and quickly fell asleep.  
The next day Loki was gone but there was a small stone and note on the bedside drawers next to her. The note basically said Loki had a nice night but woke up early and decided to go so she would have her room in the morning. Rolling her eyes Max got up and put the stone and note in her pocket before going back to Dan's.

Loki enjoyed watching Max face as she watched the memory playing behind her eyes. He particularilly enjoyed her sharp gasp when he kissed her and they had sex. He had loved that night! He had taken the photo and left the stone for her to protect but had made her forget so even she couldn't find it! The photo was so he could get into her head later on. He guessed this was why the Avengers wanted her when he had stirred things up.   
Max's eyes snapped open and she smacked him in the face. Hard. It didn't hurt him but he did have to run his cheek to check for any damage.  
"You sick son of a bitch! You took advantage of Mel's death, took the photo and had me hide that fuck ugly rock!" She shouted aiming a harder fist to Loki's face. His better reactions and Asgardian strength meant he easily twisted her so he had her back to his chest and her arms stuck in his across her body. She was hot when angry!  
"As I remember you quite enjoyed my taking advantage of you little one. You were as unsustainable as myself that night!" He growled into her ear, not missing the delightful little shudder that ran down her spine. "If had let you keep the memory then you could have easily given into any questioning from SHIELD. Now we could not have that!" He let her go with a small push sending Max stumbling a couple steps in front of her before hitting the bed and falling onto it.   
"Now eat. You have had a long and arduous few days and need your strength." Loki enjoyed Max's enraged face. The way her eyes darkened and her eyebrows furrorwed and her nostrils flared! He revelled in it. Sitting next to Max just to annoy her even more Loki carried on eating and inwardly smiled when he saw her hestitantly take another grape and eat it.


	12. Chapter 12

Max was bored. Loki still hadn't let her out of the room and it had been almost five hours since lunch! Lying on the bed, watching Loki from the corner of her eye, her mind started to wander back to Violet. She probably thought Max had gone already and hopefully she wouldn't say anything to SHIELD.  
A knock at the door got both the attentions of Max and Loki.   
"Enter." The sharp order cut through the air and Max watched carefully as a strange looking thing walked in.  
It was orange with no iris, just white, in its eyes. The things limbs were long and it had short, spaghetti like tentacles instead of fingers which creeped Max out.  
"My King, the council requests your attendance at an impromptu meeting they are holding now." Loki simply waved the thing off, it scuttled out quickly.   
"Darling I have to go but please change for dinner. We shall be eating here but it might be nice for you to change clothes." The edge in Loki's voice told Max the clothes were more for him and less about her comfort. 

Loki entered the council chamber and sat on the raised chair at the head of the table.   
"What is it you need?" He growled, annoyed he couldn't stay and analyse his new toy.  
"Respectfully my king we were wondering about why there is a powered girl in your rooms and the hadlet has not been summoned." The slimy, kiss ass next to him smarmed.  
"What are we lacking severely on this ship?"  
"Protection my lord." An Asgardian outlore spoke up.  
"Exactly. The girl, as you put her, has an ability which can turn items and people invisible or shield them and both if needed. She can protect a few people now but with my tutelage she will be able to guard this whole vessel. Any other questions?""  
"Why is she not being kept with the other humans then?" The man that spoke was from a world were the top half was a fish and the bottom had two legs only! He was blunt since he never learned the art of subtlety, however his contributions were always useful and valid so Loki over looked this small annoyance.  
"She will only protect people she cares about and if she felt that whoever attacked us was doing a service she would help them. I have to prove to her we are worth protecting, that may take a while but Asgard and the Avengers have no clue on where we are so I do have time to pursade her. This means howeve that you must all carry out your section a of the overall plan with less verbal input from me, if she knew well." Loki broke off and gave out a dark chuckle, "I doubt she would help us. But also she has something I need but that is a personal matter not for you to worry about. If that is all you need me for I must bid you goodbye." Dramatically standing Loki walked out the hall and stalked back to his rooms, excited to she his little toy in the clothes he wanted for her.   
Loki knew she like practicality and versatility out of her clothing from his observations of her, however, he preferred to see her in something that exentuated her power on a subconscious level. Like tops that showed her toned arms or thin but athletic build. Walking in he saw Max in the Sam position on the bed but she had changed the clothes as he suggested. She wore some black leather trousers that hugged her legs comfortably, she also had a fitted dark blue top that was very simple and casual but she looked ravishing.   
"Little one."   
"Yeah." Her eyes didn't leave the canopy above her head.   
"Are you feeling alright?"  
"The Avengers are fucking assholes!" Max's voice sounded calm but Loki could see the tension in her muscles. Loki saw this as a prime opportunity to prove he was on her side as well as probe for some information! He sat down next to her and leaned against the pillows looking down on Max's face.  
"I have to say I agree with your statment."  
"I expect you to lie and deceive because it's you! But them, Steve, erg!" Max rubbed her eyes out of agitation. "Don't think I'm on your side, you're just a means to an end."  
"And what is this end please tell." Loki's mouth dried up waiting for her answer. An answer which would be the key on how to make her see him and everyone on the ship as a friend.  
"Wouldn't you like to know." Max grinned and shot Loki a look which said more than she ever would. It was loud and clear, I played you and it was planned! "You want to get inside my head and see how you can manipulate me and use me like a twisted fucking puppet. Good luck." Her voice was alluring and the promise of a challenge was basically foreplay for him.   
Quickly he pinned Max beneath him and held her wrists in one hand above her head, his right hand trailing a major vein in her neck. The increased heart rate was so pleasurable to him the simple feeling of the throbbing beneath his finger was enough to make him close his eyes to control himself! Max had decided while he was put to not use her shield around him so she could get the little things she needed from him naturally, body language being a main one. Silently Max thanked Dan and Kyle for teaching her what she needed to know to bring down someone's walls and get an advantage without them knowing about it. She had never told Mel but watching someone crumble mentally was a dark twisted pleasure she enjoyed deep down in her gut. Knowing she had done that and they weren't even aware she was doing it just added a little heat that made her skin tingle!   
"I can make you tell me." Loki whispered in Max's ear, deeply in a voice that started the embers deep in her stomach.  
"Do it. I dare you." She darkly muttered back.  
"Oh my little pet, you will come you regret those words."  
"I regret a lot of things so you can try." Grinning at the shudder Loki empires Max slithered out from under him and placed the picture of her siblings in her bag.   
"So you mentioned food."


	13. Chapter 13

Violet sat in front of a metal table, opposite Steve and was glaring at him!   
"We know Max was with you when she left here and we need to know where she is."  
"She was never with me." Violet shrugged. She had arrived home after going shopping to find Max gone and a day and a half later the Avengers turned up and took her in for questioning about where Max was.   
"A camera on the property saw her enter your basement through a small window." Steve was trying to keep his voice even but the stress was peaking through. Rolling her eyes, Violet started strumming her fingers on the table. Pursing her lips Violet decided they knew enough to place Max with her.  
"Look she's gone. She stayed for a night then left. I told her to stay for a few days but when I went food shopping she left ok, that's all I know!"   
"She knows more." Natasha spoke through a little communication device in Steve's ear.  
"Do you know where she would go? Maybe to another friend?"  
"Max doesn't have any other friends besides me. If she isn't with Dan and his boys then I can't help you. You all fucked her over big time and if I did know I wouldn't tell you! She's running from you because you lied to her and Captain America, the poster boy for gentleman, was a douchebag!" Spite dropped from Violets words and she looked ready to strangle the super soldier in front of her. "She gave a damn about you and you just toyed with her to get her to stay. It's sick." Violet sat back in her chair and took a sip from the water on the desk.   
"If you have no documents to keep me here then let me go. I have done nothing wrong besides helping a friend, if you were honest you wouldn't be in this mess." Steve sighed in defeat and lowered his head.  
"Rhody is trying to get the documents keep her there longer cap." Clint spoke through the comms.   
"So golden boy, you letting me go?"  
"No."  
"Do you have a warrant or anything?"  
"No."  
"Find me when you have something." With that Violet used her powers and zapped herself back to the basement and opened her laptop. 

Loki and Max were in bed. Loki in the middle with his limbs splayed out towards Max who has purposely stayed on the far end. Her shield was up but she liked the distance. Max was pretending to sleep since Loki getting up and moving around the room had woken her up, she didn't want to talk to him so pretending to sleep was easier. When he opened the door and shut it Max immediately got up and turned invisible and ran through the wall to follow him!   
She didn't care she was in one of Steve's large t-shirts, it wasn't like anyone could see her. Barefooted and goosebumps rising Max silently followed Loki to a large room with a raised chair and a gathering of strange looking humanoids.   
"We are nearly on stage two your highness." One spoke in a gruff and scratchy voice.  
"Has the transport back been arranged?" Loki demanded.  
"Yes my lord." The same one spoke again.  
"We are worried about the lack of defence on the ship. If we were attacked we would run a high risk of death!" Another yellow woman spoke up.  
"I have a plan for that. However when the time comes I will require medical incase." Max had to admit the Loki looked hot on his chair giving orders. These clearly weren't commanders but a little lower down but Max had to focus and not get sidetracked by the Adonis on the chair!  
"There must also be a medical team on standby all the time unless I say otherwise."  
"Will we be in danger?"  
"No. You shall all be safe but I am going to start a rather vigorous training schedule with one of our powered guests and it shall be intense." Max had to cover her mouth to stop a gasp. There were more powered people in this place!   
'I have to find them.' She thought. A man walked up to Loki with a pile of documents and a pen to sign them all with, so Max silently walked back to the bedroom. Sitting on the bed she took a shakey breath and became visible again.  
"I see you attended my meeting." Max turned around and saw Loki walk out of the bathroom.  
"What the fuck?" She gasped, "You we're im there you couldn't have got back and changed!" Max referred to his sleep pants and shirtless torso.  
"I send one of my clones to arbitrary meetings such as that one. It is more time efficient. Did you find out anything interesting?"  
"There are other power people on this ship. Where are they and what are you doing to them?" Loki stepped forward but Max stopped back and away from the bed.  
"Nothing they do not already want. I give them a choice and if they take it I see to it they are monitored for their health. Otherwise we arrange for them to be taken back to Midgard unharmed, they are well looked after I assure you."   
"Why do you need a medical team on standby for one of them and their 'training'?"  
"I does not concern you but I have to say bravo in sneaking out. I did not know you were gone until you had already left." A creepy grin spread across his face as Loki slowly trapped Max in a corner. Max couldn't keep her tremble in.   
Loki took it to mean Max was turned on. He stroked the side of he face and looked at her curiously.   
"You told me on our little night together that you had never been loved besides your sister and brother. I am a man of great knowledge and even I am surprised. You have the beauty and strength of a queen, why do the mortal men not see that?"   
"Are you saying you do? I know you only want to find the thing you gave me and maybe throw in a shag along the way. I'm not helping you destroy my planet!"   
"I have promised I will not and I might be a god of lies and trickery but I am a man of my word. To those I give a sincere promise to, I keep it, you are one of these select few people."  
"I feel honoured." Max sasses sarcastically and tried to push passed him, but Loki grabbed her forearm and pulled her flush against his naked chest.  
"This shirt is neither mine nor yours, if I must hazard a guess I will say it is that American Captains. Why keep it after her lied to you, your deserve someone who can look after properly. Totally." He rasped the last word in her ear enjoying the scattering of goosebumps appear on her bare arms. Gently Loki ran his fingers up and down her pale skin. Suddenly he yanked her head to the side with her hair! Max yelped and started struggling as Loki kissed her neck, feather gently along the artery as opposed to the steel grip in her blue hair. Loki wrapped his spare arm around Max's waist. Tightly keeping her in place, enjoying her fight.   
"Did he excite you like this? Make all of your nerves sing, shout at you to get more contact. I bet he did not, you have a darkness swimming under the surface and you need someone to help you harness it and use it, not surpress it! Let go my little pet, let me show you pure pleasure." He let go of her hair and wrapped his arm around her waist as the other hand slowly made its way down to the hem of her shirt.

Max froze trying to process what was happening. Yes she was attracted to Loki and he was quite talented in the sack of their first time was anything to go by, but this is Loki! As his hand touched her very upper thigh Max broke.  
Using a shield she push him away from her and ran to the other side of the room. Panting at the adrenaline she looked around feeling like a bird in a tiny cage.  
"Don't touch me."   
"Little one I think we are inevitable. You know I am right otherwise you would have stopped me sooner."  
"Fuck you! I'll sleep on the sofa thing tonight." Grabbing a blanket Max walked over to a hidden chair by the fireplace but was stopped when Loki picked her up by the waist.   
Kicking and wriggling Max protested when she was put in the middle of the bed! Loki slithered in besides her and held her using his Asgardian strength.   
"Sleep my darling." He muttered some weird sounding words and Max dropped off into a deep sleep.


End file.
